It's not the full-blown Internet TV service Amazon was rumored to be working on, but today the online retailer announced a new program that will give Amazon Prime subscribers discounted access to several premium streaming services, including Showtime, Starz, and more.
As part of the new Streaming Partners Program, Showtime and Starz will be priced at $9 a month, for example. While Showtime's streaming service offers a similar deal to Hulu subscribers, it usually costs $11 per month. And, to date, Starz streaming has been available only to existing pay-TV subscribers.
In exchange for subscribing through Amazon, Prime members get a few extra perks, including free trials for all subscription offers and real-time access to shows as they air. Any new subscriptions get rolled into an existing Prime account, so there's just a single Watchlist, plus access to Amazon's search and browse features. You'll also be able to use the voice-search capabilities of Fire TV across all services you subscribe to.
The news of this new streaming partner program comes on the heels of reports first published by Bloomberg that Amazon has been looking to compete with cable by launching a new live streaming service, much like Dish's Sling TV or Sony's PlayStation Vue. According to Bloomberg, Amazon was talking with several major TV networks, including CBS, which owns Showtime.
While Showtime and Starz are clearly the program's big draws, Amazon says other launch partners include A+E's Lifetime Movie Club, AMC's Shudder and SundanceNow Doc Club, Acorn TV, Smithsonian Earth, and live-concert channel Qello.
Will Amazon be content with adding subscription channels to its Prime service, or does it want to offer a full-blown alternative to pay TV? It's still too early to say. We're also waiting to see what type of online TV program Apple will roll out when its much-discussed Apple TV service finally launches.
