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Television Movies

Amazon Is Looking To Add Live TV To Prime Video (protocol.com) 33

Posted by BeauHD from the everyone-is-doing-it dept.
Amazon is looking to add 24/7 live programming to its Prime Video service, according to Protocol. The new channels could include live news, music and sports as well as scheduled movies and TV show showings. From the report: Speaking under the condition of anonymity, an industry insider told Protocol that Amazon has been "actively pursuing" deals to license live and linear programming. "You should assume they're talking to everybody," he said. By adding live programming to Prime Video, Amazon could differentiate itself from services like Netflix and Disney+ that are focused exclusively on on-demand video. The move is also a response to the growing popularity of linear streaming services like Pluto and Xumo, and ultimately could be part of a different take on live TV: Instead of licensing the same costly programming bundles as traditional cable services, Amazon may be looking to combine its existing on-demand content and a much more narrow take on must-see live TV.

Amazon has been experimenting with live programming for Prime Video over the past several years, which included licensing NFL Thursday Night Football as well as the English Premier League. In the future, it may also stream live concerts, political debates and news programming, according to a job listing for Amazon's Prime Video live events team. "This is a transformative opportunity, the chance to be at the vanguard of a program that will revolutionize Prime Video," that job listing reads. Beyond individual live events, Amazon is also looking to license complete 24/7 feeds. "Linear TV enables customers to watch 24/7 streams of their favorite TV stations airing programs including sports, news, movies, award shows, special events and TV shows," one job listing details. Another specifically singles out live broadcasters and cable networks as potential partners.
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Amazon Is Looking To Add Live TV To Prime Video More

Amazon Is Looking To Add Live TV To Prime Video

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  • Linear TV enables customers to watch 24/7 streams of their favorite TV stations airing programs including sports, news, movies, award shows, special events and TV shows

    So, TV?

  • wtf? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Amazon prime is already a substandard experience compared to Netflix because 90%+ of search results pull up something that sounds interesting except that instead of actually being included in the service I've paid for they're using it more as a paid opt-in platform for advertising their other stuff.

    Why on Earth would I want to dilute things further with options like "well, you could watch this but you have to come back in 37 minutes and then at the right time and day going forwards"? Yes, we had to do ridi

    • "well, you could watch this but you have to come back in 37 minutes and then at the right time and day going forwards

      And subscribe to our premium Lifestyle Streaming Package which comes with 53 other exciting live channels, all for the low price of $49,95 a month.

    • Yeah, how dare Amazon not invent an on-demand time machine for each and every subscriber that allows them to move back and forth through time in order to watch live events on their schedule. I mean, what the fuck, Bezos? I don't have time to schedule my shit around some arbitrary event happening in a stadium full of people somewhere else, with potentially millions of other people watching on other video services. The entire would should have to stop and start at MY convenience, and it should be included

    • "well, you could watch this but you have to come back in 37 minutes and then at the right time and day going forwards"?

      That's how live events work. They start on a certain day at a certain time. Rebroadcasting the event can be done at any time for your convenience, but unless you've come up with a time traveling machine, no one can show a live event before it happens.

  • As long as they stay as far away as possible from game shows, "reality" TV and murder investigations, which seem to be the cheapest shows to produce.

  • Why bother with "live TV" when on demand streaming is superior in every way?

    • Why bother with "live TV" when on demand streaming is superior in every way?

      Not on Amazon it aint, at least not if you aren't in the US. Amazon has a shitful collection of streaming options and then tries to charge extra for a lot of the content after you subscribed. They desperately need something to be viable.

    • There are two scenarios I can see "live" TV working reasonably well:

      For sports, you tend to want to watch live (or fairly close to it), although our family stores football games on the DVR so we can pause, or even get a late start so we don't have to watch commercials. But part of the fun is watching the event on the day, as it happens.

      Likewise, for news, you're mostly interested in up-to-the-minute information if it's available.

      I really can't think of any other good reason for normal TV-style broadcasts a

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by DarkOx ( 621550 )

        Likewise, for news, you're mostly interested in up-to-the-minute information if it's available.

        Reality is though news is scripted to a degree. The folks at the local news are not adlibing the entire news cast. They may have someone on site and interview a passer by at an event etc but most of the stories are prepared. I DVR the local and national news now because over the 6pm hour we are usually still eating / cleaning up from dinner.

        I usually watch sometime later that evening when it suits me. Most of the content isnt stale at that point. I suspect I am far from the only one who does this. Stream

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Hodr ( 219920 )

        Sports should cost extra. They are too expensive and I don't want to subsidise them. Of course, Prime Video shouldn't be part of prime anyways.

        Can we get a prime classic that is just free shipping. No need for book rentals and video and other unrelated crap.

        Actually, considering even "prime" shipping can take weeks now or is crammed into a once a week delivery that lowest level of service should probably be free, and we should have a return to real 2 day shipping for classic prime.

    • This is all about sports

    • Gotta keep up with the Jones's.

    • Because sometimes people want to watch shit as it happens. Like sporting events, live news events, etc. You may not want to, but that's ok - that just means you aren't in the target demographic for this service, and you simply don't use it.

      Why is that a hard concept these days? Every product isn't for every person. It never has been, and never will be.

    • Sports, dude. And some concerts. But Sports.

      But give me the option to watch the event as part of my streaming package, like Prime.

  • Wonder if they do it in the UK (Score:4)

    by Ecuador ( 740021 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2020 @07:04AM (#60221134) Homepage

    Wonder if they do it in the UK. If you watch any broadcast or live TV streaming (or even on-demand through BBC's own iPlayer) you are supposed to pay £157.50/year (~$200) for a TV licence (money goes to BBC). You are exempt if you only use on-demand services like Netflix, Amazon, so many people like myself don't pay the license. Now, if Amazon adds live TV and you happen to watch it, you are supposed to pay the license. Technically, it is not enforceable, Amazon won't tell them who's watching (and they are not allowed to ask any provider anyway), but it is interesting since you will have a TV stream a click away, but that click theoretically costs £157.50 (there's no price per viewing). The enforcement of the TV license is quite funny actually, as the TV license people are allowed to come to your door and ask you if you watch TV and if they can look around, you can just refuse and they can't do anything else. So they have these vans going around the country with "Television Detector" written on their sides and huge antennas on top. As far as I know any "evidence" they might have collected has never been used in any kind of prosecution, but they do like to make their presence known.

    • Interesting point.

      I wonder if Amazon really are looking at setting up mindless channels? I suspect they're looking to go big on live streamed events because they can sell those per-view. Even the 10 o'clock news could be a live "event" and possibly charged per view too. Why they'd be looking to fill in time during the off-times with re-runs of Matlock and Quincy is beyond me.

      This then also opens up the question... if you watch a live event, is that "TV" or "on demand". The license fee doesn't really stack u

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by ledow ( 319597 )

      The law changed a while ago.

      From the TV Licensing website:

      The law says you need to be covered by a TV Licence to:

      - watch or record programmes as theyâ(TM)re being shown on TV, on any channel
      - watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.)
      - download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer.

      So, if you are watching programmes live - no matter the online TV service, and specifically mentioning Amazon Prime - you need a licen

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Ecuador ( 740021 )

        The law changed a while ago.

        Yes, I was referring to the new rules.

        So, if you are watching programmes live - no matter the online TV service, and specifically mentioning Amazon Prime - you need a licence.

        Yes, but I did not realise Amazon Prime already shows live programs? I thought this would be a new thing we are discussing. I use Prime Video but don't recall seeing anything live promoted (at least not included).

        TV detector vans - never seen one in my life, they were a scare tactic in the 70's and an urban myth since

        Nope, they are not a myth, at least until very recently they were still around trying to scare people. From what I remember there were 21 until the early 00's and since then (they switched contractor) we don't have an accurate number, but it is believed to be a

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Ecuador ( 740021 )

        Ah, you are probably tripped by the fact I used the phrase "on demand", I meant "on demand, prerecorded" sorry.

  • It's a feature for the sake of feature, it seems. Aka "Look, we have this feature and $competitor does not, so sign up for our service even if you don't need it but you just MIGHT at some point in the future!"

  • Live channels were added in Canada last year. There is only one live news network included with the base prime subscription, everything else gets added via bundles with additional monthly fees. I've personally have the 'StackTV' bundle which includes Global, Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, W Network, History, Adult Swim, Slice, Showcase, National Geographic, Teletoon, Treehouse and YTV. There are something like 15 other addon options, some of which are more live channels, others are streaming services y
  • Now Amazon Prime will be more useful and may actually challenge Netflix

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