Amazon Just Fired a Shot of Streaming Goodness Across the Bow of Netflix

By Dustin Rowles | Streaming | April 18, 2016 |

By Dustin Rowles | Streaming | April 18, 2016 |

Amazon, which for years has been offering their streaming service as a benefit to Amazon Prime subscribers, is now spinning its streaming service off as a stand-alone service, and they are starting with a monthly subscription price $1 less than the most popular Netflix subscription price (which is getting a price hike).

Rather than paying $99 a year for Amazon Prime (which gives subscribers free shipping), Amazon’s stand-alone streaming service will go for $8.99 a month, and unlike the Prime service, customers can subscribe and unsubscribe whenever they want. In other words, they can subscribe to watch the latest season of Mozart of the Jungle (though they should not) and cancel the next month.

Amazon feels it puts them on a more even playing ground with Netflix, which is both accurate and not. Amazon’s original programming doesn’t compare with Netflix. However, Amazon does have the resources to compete. Moreover, Amazon’s movie selection is probably superior to Netflix now , and its selection of streaming series from the likes of FX, AMC, and HBO is superior (in fact, Amazon has exclusive rights to HBO’s back catalogue).

Plus, the Amazon interface is better (I would kill for a 10-second skip ahead button on Netflix).