Prime Video will start offering its viewers the ability to subscribe to Apple TV+ directly through its app, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios head Mike Hopkins said on Wednesday.
His announcement came during a panel conversation at the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles.
Apple TV+ will become available through Prime Video later in October for $9.99 per month.
Hopkins said it makes sense for streaming services to offer subscriptions via Amazon Prime Video, because it gives them access to “hundreds of millions” of customers globally. He declined to share an exact number of Prime subscribers when asked, though.
“We want to make Apple TV+ and its award-winning library of series and films from the world’s greatest storytellers available to as many viewers as possible,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of Services, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled that Prime Video will now offer Apple TV+, giving viewers an incredible breadth of viewing options.”
Prime Video introduced an ad-supported tier in January and switched all of its existing users over to the plan by default; they were given the option to skip ads by paying $2.99 per month. Soon after that, a lawsuit was filed against Amazon, accusing it of committing breach of contract and violating consumer protection laws. Amazon is currently seeking to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing on Monday that plaintiffs “got exactly what they bargained for.”
Hopkins on Wednesday declined to say how many Prime Video customers pay to avoid ads.
In September, Amazon joined the Motion Picture Association, Hollywood’s leading lobbying group. The tech giant’s entry into the MPA made it the newest member since Netflix joined in 2019.
Hopkins, in a statement last month, said Amazon was “proud” to join the lobby group, saying it looks to “protect creators, content and consumers worldwide.”
Amazon’s linchpin streaming service is home to original shows and movies like “The Boys” and this year’s “Road House” remake, as well as the NFL’s Thursday Night Football. The company also runs Freevee, its free, ad-supported streaming service.
In other recent news, Amazon secured more than $1.8 billion in streaming ad revenue for 2024 — topping the tech company’s internal expectations.
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