Amazon.com Inc. is set to include Apple Inc.’s TV+ streaming service in its channels store in the U.S., allowing users to access popular shows like Ted Lasso and Slow Horses for the first time. Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Amazon Prime Video, announced the integration at the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles, stating that Apple will begin selling TV+ subscriptions through Prime later this month.
Hopkins emphasized the advantage of Amazon’s vast subscriber base, saying, “What we offer channel partners is hundreds of millions of subscribers around the world. Having this engagement with Prime Members accessing Prime Video is a great platform for partners to reach them.”
Amazon currently offers more than 100 streaming services through its channels store, enabling viewers to watch content from providers like Max, Paramount+, and Hallmark within the Prime Video platform. Apple TV+ was one of the few major streaming services previously unavailable on the platform, alongside Netflix and Walt Disney Co.’s primary properties, which boast larger audiences than Prime Video.
Despite Apple’s substantial investments in original programming, its streaming service has not yet matched the subscriber numbers of Netflix and Amazon. This new agreement builds on a prior collaboration, initiated in 2017, which included the Prime Video app on Apple TV and integration of Prime Video into the Apple TV app on various devices. Additionally, Apple maintains an official store on Amazon.com.
Looking ahead, Hopkins predicted further consolidation within the media industry and expressed confidence that Amazon’s streaming service would be profitable “very soon.” During the event, Cristobal Valenzuela, co-founder of AI startup Runway, showcased technology that enables movie and TV producers to create lifelike images, reassuring attendees that artists should not fear these advancements.
