SVOD: Amazon wants flinguer Netflix – ZDNet France

So far, Amazon offered a subscription” Premium “which included free delivery of products ordered on its site and offered in more video on demand and music; a bundle offer at nearly $ 100 a year and leaving the field of pure SVOD its Netflix and Hulu competitors. Now Amazon offers a subscription solution SVOD in “stand alone” with Prime Video Americans can subscribe to the SVOD Amazon for $ 8.99 per month, without obligation and with 30-day trial. A stir Netflix which counts 45 million subscribers in the US and reigns leader.

Amazon Prime has chosen to position 1 dollar more than the basic Netflix is ​​at $ 7.99. But by offering HD and UHD while Netflix HD starts at $ 9.99. Little more, Amazon Prime offers offline mode while Netflix remains true to its strategy 100% streaming. This announcement comes at a time when Netflix upgraded its subscription for $ 7.99 to $ 9.99 for the older subscribers, knowing that they can stay at the price of 7.99 € but lose the HD and simultaneous viewing of 2 devices. There’s no getting around the war SVOD is declared.

E-Marketer research institute indicates that Netflix has surpassed 114 million users in the United States while Amazon does have that dogged by Hulu 65.2 and 59.9 million users. According to CIRP firm, Amazon would count 54 million subscribers in the US Prime at the end of 2015, up 35% over one year.

to move up a gear Amazon has no choice: Jeff Bezos must have a front that offers Netflix. Especially as Amazon invests, like Netflix, heavily in exclusive programs such as Transparent, Mozart in the Jungle, The Man in the High Castle.

In addition, Amazon has signed agreements with HBO and Epix and exclusive series with Woody Allen, but also a film that will open the Cannes Festival: “Café Society” and three other films that will be present in the official selection: “the Neon Demon” of Nicolas Winding Refn, “Paterson” Jim Jarmusch, “Agassi – The Handmaiden” Park Chan-wook.

Amazon had broken his piggy bank at the Sundance festival in making acquisitions in all directions, like the movie “Manchester by the Sea” by Kenneth Lonergan for $ 10 million. Several US firms when Netflix spends $ 4 billion in rights purchases, Amazon spends 3 while its offer is not available in all countries.

We remember that Amazon had tested a similar offer in 2012 and had left after 2 weeks with a program far less attractive than now. The real fight will start tonight when Reed Hastings will present its first quarter results and announces probably some new reserved for the US market, which is growing less quickly than the international market.

For the record, Amazon Prime is not available in France, but the offer Prime Instant including delivery and the video is available in the UK and Germany, but is well behind Netflix. This is a new chapter opens for Amazon that as Facebook, TwittGoogle, eyeing more towards audiovisual to invent a future with the “Millennials”. A stroke billion, Amazon can get a place in the sun of the SVOD!