Amazon pushes TV on DVD, streaming
Hundreds of new Web pages showcase "your favorite show"
By Danny King -- Video Business, 9/17/2008
SEPT. 17 | Amazon.com has created about 500 new Web pages dedicated to TV series as part of an effort to highlight the new Amazon Video On Demand streaming service the company launched to all customers earlier this month.
The new online stores for shows ranging from Hawaii Five-O to Family Guy include links to the streaming service and DVD purchases, in addition to other features such as cast member interviews, links to related books and advertising-free previews of some episodes before they air on network TV, the world’s largest Internet retailer said in a statement today. Yesterday, Amazon’s Internet Movie Database unit started a free video-streaming service with an inventory of more than 6,000 TV and movie titles.
“Amazon has created products such as Video On Demand and TV show-dedicated stores to help our customers discover even more about the programs they love and watch those shows wherever and whenever they choose,” said Peter Faricy, VP of TV, movies and music for Amazon, in a statement.
Two weeks ago, Amazon made its video-on-demand streaming service live for all customers. The company integrated its Unbox download service into what is the new Amazon Video On Demand, which allows customers the chance to rent or purchase by streaming from an inventory of about 40,000 titles. Amazon inserted links to the VOD service on IMDb.com pages for titles that aren’t offered for free.
The new pages link customers to the new service. For instance, on Amazon’s page for The Office, the company is offering the most recent 14-episode season for either $30.99 on DVD or $22.28 on VOD. There also is a link to stream the first episode of the upcoming season, which airs Sept. 25.
Amazon’s VOD launch was viewed by some as an admission from Amazon less than two years after the launch of Unbox that its requirement for customers to download a proprietary player might have hurt demand as it competed against services such as Apple TV, Netflix and Vudu. Amazon’s media sales accounted for 59% of its second-quarter revenue, down from 64% a year earlier.
