Amazon Prime Video – home of the new motoring series THE GRAND TOUR featuring Jeremy Clarkson, James May & Richard Hammond – snuck into Australia overnight with the softest of launches, adding a new streaming service to the growing list available to consumers.
UPDATE: An Amazon spokesman has offered this statement:
“We have not launched Amazon Prime in Australia. The service some Australians have signed-up for is the US or UK Prime Membership, which provides free, fast shipping within the US or UK, as well as access to some Amazon Originals, such as The Grand Tour, where we have the global rights.”
In America it’s the home of TRANSPARENT (available here on Stan), and the online home of MR ROBOT (here on Presto/Foxtel) and more. Titles such as THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE and BOSCH all feature prominently and along with The Grand Tour are hotly anticipated by Australian viewers.
With the Clarkson/Hammond/May car show dropping today in America, the UK, Japan and more on the service around 4pm AEST – it has the potential to be a strikingly smart move by the global online shopping empire as it looks to establish itself Down Under (though we’re gonna have to wait until December probably).
**EDIT: The first episode “The Holy Trinity” is now available through the service in Australia.)
The content and brand is still focused on American customers “TV to Watch While Abroad”, etc) customers can expect when it formally releases in Australia targeted branding and access through Amazon’s Australian domain.
There’s also no apps available in the Australian iTunes store yet, but it works fine in browser.
You can sign up right now at Amazon.com and access the whole shebang free for 30 days. Right now. In Australia with Australian credit cards and home addresses.
After that, you can get an Amazon Video-only deal for $8.99 US per month, a monthly access to all of Amazon Prime for $10.99 US per month giving access to a broad range of Amazon services and deals, including Prime Delivery, Prime Music, Prime Photos and more… or take up their annual fee deal and get all of Amazon Prime for $99 (equivalent to $8.25 US per month – see what they did there?).
Co-Creator and Viewer’s Advocate for TVBlackbox.com.au, Steve Molk is sharply focused on the business of TV in Australia across all its formats – FTA broadcast, commercial, subscription, BVOD, catch up & SVOD.
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