Amazon to take on Netflix with standalone video streaming service
Netflix had better watch its back – Amazon wants a slice of the video streaming pie
Amazon is reportedly on the cusp of announcing a video streaming deal with Viacom that would take the online retail giant a step closer to launching a standalone Netflix-baiting on-demand video streaming service.
According to reports from Reuters, Viacom – which owns MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon – has given the go ahead to license its shows and films to Amazon, with an official announcement expected to be made soon.
With deals already in place with Warner, Sony, Fox, NBC and a bunch of other top networks, the Viacom signature could be the final hoop Amazon needs to jump through before launching a fully-fledged Netflix competitor and VoD subscription service.
As it stands, Amazon offers video-on-demand to Prime members, who pay £50 a year for the service. But Amazon wants to provide a standalone video streaming service to non-Prime members – probably for a monthly fee. It’d certainly boost the entertainment offering available to owners of Amazon’s Kindle Fire.
It looks like Netflix had better watch its back. The battle for the streaming crown is certainly hotting up this year with Lovefilm, as well as Apple, Google and Sky all gunning for a piece of the video streaming action.
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Dan Grabham
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