Amazon Prime Customers Get Access To Showtime, Starz, And Other Add-On Subscriptions Through New Streaming Partners Program

Watching TV doesn't mean what it used to. Not only can you choose which streaming services to commit to, but you now have multiple ways to subscribe to them. Amazon is adding another option for the likes of Showtime and Starz via its new Streaming Partners Program.Going forward, Amazon will give Prime customers free trials on subscriptions and discounted pricing. Instead of paying $11 for Showtime or adding Starz to a cable plan, you can get both for $8.99 a month. Other add-on subscriptions include Comedy Acorn TV, Central Stand-Up Plus, Gaia, Lifetime Movie Club, and Qello Concerts.In return for lower prices, Amazon's partners get more customers without the hassle of managing their credit cards and providing customer service. Amazon handles everything on its end.This approach is similar to what users experience using Hulu, which also provides access to Showtime content for a discounted $8.99 a month.Amazon's full selection is available at amazon.com/videosubscriptions.

PRESS RELEASE

Amazon Announces the Streaming Partners Program

Amazon Prime members can now add SHOWTIME, STARZ and dozens more video subscriptions to their Prime membership

Now, video providers can reach a new set of highly engaged viewers with Amazon responsible for driving subscriber acquisition

Prime customers benefit from free trials, self-service cancellation of any subscription and special Prime member pricing—subscriptions for SHOWTIME and STARZ are only $8.99 per month

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 2015-- (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today launched the Streaming Partners Program, an over-the-top streaming subscription program for video providers that enables them to reach tens of millions of Prime members. With the Streaming Partners Program, video providers have access to a highly engaged streaming audience, and viewers have a more convenient way to manage their streaming subscriptions.

The Streaming Partners Program offers many benefits for video providers. Amazon is responsible for:

Driving all subscriber acquisition
Making subscribing friction-free—credit cards are already on file
Handling all customer service
Managing all billing
Managing credit card expirations
Serving your content through high-quality, reliable streaming infrastructure
Managing compatibility across hundreds of devices

The Streaming Partners Program offers many benefits for viewers, including:

Free trials on all subscriptions
Special Prime member pricing
Latest episodes available simultaneous with broadcast
Convenience of one account
One Watchlist across all subscriptions
Self-service cancellation of any subscription at anytime
IMDb X-Ray integration
Unified search and browse across subscriptions
Unified voice search and ASAP on Fire TV

“The way people watch TV is changing, and customers need an easier way to subscribe to and enjoy multiple streaming subscriptions,” said Michael Paull, Vice President of Digital Video at Amazon. “With the Streaming Partners Program, we’re making it easy for video providers to reach highly engaged Prime members, many of whom are already frequent streamers, and we’re making it easier for viewers to watch their favorite shows and channels.”

“We’re excited to work with Amazon to offer our streaming service featuring all of our award-winning original series, plus our exclusive sports, news-making documentaries and blockbuster movies, to millions of Prime users,” said David Nevins, President,Showtime Networks Inc. “By marrying SHOWTIME with the powerhouse retail capabilities of Amazon, we continue to greatly expand our footprint, making sure our service is available to new subscribers whenever and however they want to watch us.”

"STARZ is excited to offer subscriptions to our premium hit shows like ‘Outlander’ and ‘Power,’ as well as our thousands of movies, to Amazon Prime customers,” said Chris Albrecht, CEO of Starz said. “This is a terrific product for customers to conveniently navigate their entertainment options quickly, easily and anywhere.”

Initial launch partners include: SHOWTIME, STARZ, A+E Network (Lifetime Movie Club), AMC (Shudder and SundanceNow Doc Club), Gaia, RLJ Entertainment (Acorn TV, Urban Movie Channel, Acacia TV), DramaFever (DramaFever Instant), Tribeca Short List,Cinedigm (Dove Channel, Docurama, CONtv), Smithsonian (Smithsonian Earth), IndieFlix (IndieFlix Shorts), Curiosity Stream, Qello, FlixFling (Cinefest, Nature Vision, Warriors and Gangsters, Dox, Monsters and Nightmares), BroadbandTV (Hooplakidz Plus), DEFY Media (ScreenJunkies Plus), Gravitas (Film Forum, Daring Docs, Fear Factory), and Ring TV Boxing.

To explore the full set of premium content available to Prime members, visitwww.amazon.com/videosubscriptions. To become an Amazon streaming partner, visitwww.amazon.com/streamingpartners.

Today customers will also find a newly designed Amazon Video homepage making it easy for customers to find movies and TV shows available on Prime, available through the Streaming Partners Program, or available to rent or buy.