Amazon’s Prime Video Is Adding Apple TV+ as a Subscription Add-On

As a long-time movie buff who’s witnessed the rise and fall of countless streaming giants, I must say this collaboration between Amazon and Apple feels like the ultimate dance-off of titans. The streaming arena has always been a battleground, but when two tech titans join forces, it’s time to pop some popcorn and settle in for an exciting show.


Amazon and Apple, two Silicon Valley behemoths, are teaming up in the streaming arena.

Starting later this month, Apple TV+ can be accessed through Amazon’s Prime Video service in the United States as an additional monthly subscription priced at $9.99, according to a statement made by Amazon on Thursday.

Apple TV+ is now available as an additional subscription option alongside over 100 other services like Prime Video, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max, Paramount Global’s Paramount+, Sony’s Crunchyroll, and Amazon-owned MGM+ within the U.S. market.

The integration of Apple TV+ within Prime Video is a move by Amazon to amass a variety of entertainment choices for their customers, all accessible via a single invoice and user-friendly application.

Mike Hopkins, SVP and Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, stated upon the agreement’s unveiling that “Prime Video serves as a top-tier entertainment hub, boasting an extensive library of superior content.” He continued by expressing, “As we strive to broaden our offerings and facilitate personalized streaming experiences within a single application, we are thrilled to onboard Apple TV+ and its renowned, critically praised shows, movies, and special events onto Prime Video.

During a discussion at the Bloomberg Screentime conference held in Los Angeles on Thursday night, Hopkins was questioned about how the Prime Video distribution agreement favors Apple. In response, he explained that Amazon could provide Apple TV+ subscription access to “tens of millions of viewers worldwide.

Last April, I was thrilled to hear our CEO, Andy Jassy, announce that Prime Video had reached over 200 million monthly viewers. However, this figure doesn’t reflect the level of viewer engagement where Prime Video lags behind Netflix. For instance, by August 2024, it was reported by Nielsen that Netflix held a 7.9% share of total U.S. TV time spent viewing compared to Prime Video’s 3.1%. As a fan, I hope we can close the gap and offer more engaging content in the future!

Apple TV+ showcases an array of exclusive programs like “Severance,” “Slow Horses,” “The Morning Show,” “Presumed Innocent,” “Shrinking,” “Hijack,” “Loot,” “Palm Royale,” along with movies such as “Wolfs” featuring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, and “The Instigators” starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. This streaming platform additionally provides access to Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball matches.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, declared in a statement, “Our goal is to make Apple TV+ and its collection of award-winning series and films from renowned storytellers accessible to a wide audience. We’re delighted that Prime Video will now carry Apple TV+, expanding the range of viewing choices for viewers.

One of the main advantages of being a Prime member is access to Amazon Prime Video, which costs $139 annually ($14.99 a month) in the U.S., or alternatively, individuals can opt for a separate Prime Video subscription at a monthly cost of $8.99.

Starting in January, Amazon’s Prime Video platform started playing ads within TV shows and movies automatically, but provided users with an option to pay an extra $2.99 per month for an ad-free viewing experience. (Some unhappy Prime customers have filed a lawsuit against Amazon regarding this change; the company is trying to dismiss the case.) This summer, Amazon updated the layout of Prime Video, intending to increase user interaction and make it clearer what content can be accessed without any additional fee through the streaming service.

Amazon Prime Video offers original programming, which includes series and films produced by Amazon MGM Studios like “Road House,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Fallout,” “Reacher,” “The Boys,” and “The Idea of You”, as well as licensed content. Sports events you can watch on this service include NFL’s “Thursday Night Football,” WNBA matches, and NWSL games.

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2024-10-10 06:16