As expected, Amazon Prime Video service has finally gone live in India. Amazon Prime Video is already available in countries like the U.S, UK, Germany, Austria and Japan. To recall, the Amazon Prime subscription service was started in India in July this year.
At present, the Amazon Prime subscription is available at just Rs. 499 per year, that works out to under Rs. 50 per month. However, it is expected to go up to Rs. 999 later. It is worth noting that Amazon Prime subscribers don’t need to subscribe separately for Amazon Prime Video. So, the Amazon Prime Video is way cheaper than Netflix and homegrown Hotstar which charges Rs. 500 and Rs. 199 per month respectively.
In September, Amazon teamed up with Dharma Productions to stream films and upcoming new releases. The company has also partnered with Vishesh Films. Amazon also singed a deal with SS Rajamouli, Graphic India and Arka Mediaworks for a multi-episode animated series titled – Baahubali: The Lost Legends based on the popular movie Baahubali, which will premiere first on Amazon Prime Video India in 2017. Deals have also been signed with Green Gold Animation which makes kids shows such as Super Bheem, Chota Bheem and Mighty Raju.
Along with above tie-ups, Amazon India is also reported to be in the race for the IPL streaming rights, which would give the company access to India’s huge sports market. Looking at the Prime Video app that has gone live, it’s clear that Amazon is putting the focus equally between Hindi movies and its own originals. The top scroll shows films like Sultan, Kabali, and Raaz (the last two are Amazon exclusives), alongside Supernatural, and the Man in the High Castle, the latter being Amazon Prime Video exclusive.
Netflix debuted the Indian market at the beginning of this year along with 128 other countries at a starting price of Rs. 500 per month for the US-based popular TV shows and movies. With Amazon focusing on India based content as well, it can give a tough time to Netflix in India.
Amazon Prime Video app is now available on both Play store and App store. Users can also access the service using their Amazon India login credentials. It will be interesting to see how Amazon Prime Video will make a mark in India. Stay tuned for more updates!