More questions on possible Amazon launch
Could Amazon Prime "soft launch" next month in time for The Grand Tour?
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under Streaming
There are more suggestions today that Amazon Prime could set up shop in Australia, despite Presto announcing it would cease at the end of January.
The Australian Financial Review speculates it’s a question of “when not if” it will launch a local streaming service.
As previously noted, central to its viability is the launch of The Grand Tour featuring Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
Sources said Amazon could leverage the new show for a soft launch in Australia next month -The Grand Tour launches globally from November 18.
The show is yet to have an Australian broadcast or streaming platform.
Another hot Amazon title is The Man in the High Castle, a critically acclaimed drama about the US existing under Nazi rule (not to be confused with the BBC’s SS-GB). The Last Tycoon featuring Matt Bomer and Kelsey Grammer is also on the way.
Some Amazon titles, including Transparent, Mad Dogs and Mozart in the Jungle, are already available on Stan but there are others including Patriot with Aussie Michael Dorman, Good Girls Revolt and The Kicks.
Amazon declined to comment.
7 Responses
Seeing as it’s relatively easy to ‘be in the US’ as far as Amazon/your devices can tell, I’m more interested in them bringing the Real Amazon Prime here, ie, being able to get free delivery, and more importantly, actually having them deliver items to Australia. It seems that more than half the stuff they sell has the annoying ‘this item does not ship to Australia’ tag. For no apparent reason.
I’m hoping they just announce a strategic partnership with Stan.
There is too much fragmentation as it is.. Next we’ll see Hulu & HBO Go here too 🙁
HBO is aligned with Foxtel in long term deals so unlikely to see hbo go here anytime soon.
Hulu will be a no go also due to the way television licensing works. The only way Hulu could come to Australia is if they sign on the Australian FTA networks up to the service. They already have something in the works with the new FreeView FV service.
With Presto closing maybe more rights will be out on the market for movies and shows so they could have a good catalogue of non exclusives. Foxtel anytime and Presto had the same movies most of the time so I guess streaming rights may be available. Anyway just bring on the grand tour.
I know as part of its undertakings to the ACCC in its Austar takeover, Foxtel is restricted as to to how many film companies they can have exclusivety deals with. Which is a good thing.
The sooner the better. I realise this will be a soft launch, but I hope that eventually Amazon Prime offers us their full range. They seem to carry a number of titles that are unavailable elsewhere, including The Man in the High Castle.