Opinion: In the same week that Netflix announced that it had lost more subscribers, Prime Video revealed a new look that is now rolling out.
And it sounds quite similar to Netflix – who would have thought that? Amazon Prime Video has had a poor interface for quite some time, and the hope is that this update will make it easier to navigate and find the content you’re looking for.
Part of the problems with Prime Video’s user interface is that it aggregates content not only from Prime Video but from a host of other channels; Some are free, others are paid – and finding out what is not always easy for some. Other streaming services have taken the simpler path while Prime Video has left it up to subscribers to try to understand it. Why, in some circumstances, HD content is offered instead of 4K still baffles me.
The new interface should help solidify Prime Video’s positive upward trend this year. In the UK, it’s been catching up with Netflix’s subscriber base number since the start of the year, as people have snapped up Prime subscriptions (no doubt Prime Day helped further). But it also appears that a return to pre-pandemic behavior and cost savings is hurting Netflix and arguably having less impact on Amazon/Prime Video.
This should be due, in part, to the content and service. I wouldn’t say Prime Video’s original content isn’t quite in the pop culture ethos of Netflix, Disney – Reacher, The Boys, Invincible, The Magnificent Miss Maisel, and the All or Nothing series have been prominent in recent years, but heavy hitters aren’t exactly plentiful. But it has a large library of content from other movie studios, and even on its own Prime Video it’s cheaper. That’s what Netflix is used to, before it really started focusing on original programming.
Prime has not only kept subscribers as the pandemic shifts, but has ramped up engagement through its ecosystem of smart devices, as people seem to have lost interest in what’s on Netflix. As Stranger Things and Better Call Saul reach their goals, there’s little point in keeping a Netflix subscription if it isn’t taken advantage of. Netflix’s cancellation of many series and its binge-watching approach hasn’t left it in the best position, with fewer new series coming in as the next wave, as subscribers realize their favorite shows may not even get a second series.
While Prime Video is just part of what makes a Prime subscription so valuable, and with people looking to skimp and save as much as possible, it makes more sense to have a subscription that offers a lot rather than a more expensive subscription that focuses solely on video.
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That’s why a friendlier and smoother interface can only help Prime Video move forward, giving subscribers less reason to get frustrated and give up on the service for something else, as well as demonstrating the amount of content and good quality. Shows and Movies Prime Video has.
If you’re looking to relive the good old days of Blockbuster video with a movie night, Prime Video may have replaced Netflix as the streaming service.