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Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, called Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand streaming television service owned by Amazon. It offers films, television shows, live sports, and options to rent or buy videos. You can use it alone or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. It is one of the most popular streaming services after Netflix.
Prime Video works in many countries around the world. In some places like the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, you can watch it without a full Prime subscription. But in countries such as Australia, Canada, France, India, Turkey, and Italy, you need a special website to access it.
Prime Video started on September 7, 2006, in the United States as Amazon Unbox. It was later called Amazon Instant Video on Demand. After buying a DVD-by-mail service called LoveFilm in 2011, Amazon added Prime Video to the Prime subscription in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria in 2014. On December 14, 2016, Prime Video became available in many new countries with special prices for new users.
Today, with Amazon MGM Studios, Prime Video shows how important Amazon is in movies and television. It is part of the Motion Picture Association.
History
The service started on September 7, 2006, in the United States as Amazon Unbox. It was later called Amazon Instant Video. It grew by adding movies and TV shows from famous studios like Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, and PBS. Over time, Amazon made its own shows and added content from around the world.
In 2021, Amazon bought Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, adding many popular movies to its collection. Prime Video kept growing, offering shows and movies in many countries and working with studios everywhere to bring new content to viewers.
Content
Further information: Current original programming, ended original programming, and original films
Further information on Amazon Prime Video international offerings: List of Amazon Prime Video exclusive international distribution programming and Amazon Prime Video India originals
Amazon Prime Video has many movies, TV shows, and special content made just for the service. It also has shows and movies from other companies. You can watch these by adding extra channels like Curiosity Stream, Lifetime Movie Club, AMC's Shudder, Showtime, and Starz.
More channels have joined over time, such as HBO, Cinemax, Boomerang, Discovery Channel, and PBS Kids.
Prime Video also shows sports. In 2017, it started showing some football games. Later, it added tennis, soccer, and basketball games. This includes matches from the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, and the NBA.
Advertising
In January 2024, Amazon Prime Video began offering a version with fewer advertisements. Viewers could pay an extra $2.99 each month to avoid these ads. This change made Prime Video similar to other streaming services that also have ads. The ad-supported option was available in certain places, including the United States, Canada, the UK, and some parts of Europe.
Availability
Prime Video is available in most places around the world. It is not offered in a few countries like mainland China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Russia, Belarus, Syria, and Vietnam. It first started in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and Austria.
You can watch Prime Video on many devices. These include web browsers, Amazon Fire devices, digital media players like Roku, video game consoles, and smart TVs. There is also an Android TV app, and one for Nvidia Shield.
| Country | Amazon Video (Video on demand) | Prime Video (Streaming service) | Use of Amazon Gift Card balance | Domain name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Buy/Rent | Streaming | Pay for movie purchases Pay for Amazon Prime subscription | amazon.com/primevideo |
| United Kingdom | Buy/Rent | Streaming | Pay for movie purchases Pay for Amazon Prime subscription | amazon.co.uk/primevideo |
| Germany | Buy/Rent | Streaming | Pay for movie purchases Pay for Amazon Prime subscription | amazon.de/primevideo |
| Japan | Buy/Rent | Streaming | Pay for movie purchases Pay for Amazon Prime subscription | amazon.co.jp/primevideo |
| France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, Australia, Mexico, Netherlands, Chile, Colombia, Portugal, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada | Buy/Rent | Streaming | Pay for Amazon Prime subscription (for selected countries) | primevideo.com |
| India | Rent | Streaming | — | |
| Other Countries (including countries without a local Amazon website) | No | Streaming | — |
Metadata
Amazon Prime Video offers different video qualities depending on your device. You can watch shows in up to 4K (UHD) and high-dynamic-range (HDR) if your device supports it. Many shows are also available in 1080p (HD) with special audio options like 5.1 Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Amazon changed its streaming to help keep the internet running well. They lowered the quality of some shows to make sure everyone could use the internet smoothly.
Awards and nominations
Amazon Prime Video has won many awards for its shows and movies. It has been honored by groups like the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and British Academy Film Awards. Lots of its programs are praised for their great stories, acting, and how they are made.
Some Amazon Originals have won big awards. This shows how much care and creativity go into the content on Prime Video. These wins show the company's goal to make excellent films and TV shows.
| Year | Association | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Diversity in Media Awards | Broadcaster of the Year | Amazon Video UK | Won |
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Amazon Prime Video, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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