16 APR 2021

AMAZON PRIME VIDEO SURPASSES 200 MILLION GLOBAL SUBSCRIBERS

The streaming service has invested $11 billion in video and music content last year, a 41% increase from the year prior. It ended the year with a $6.8 billion capitalized cost, indicating a 17% increase from the previous year.

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Amazon has garnered over 200 million Prime subscribers worldwide. Announced in a shareholder’s letter, the company has increased its subscriber base by 25%, equivalent to 50 million, over the past year to a total of US$126 billion in value creation.

The company also reported $6.8 billion capitalized cost, a 17% increase from the year prior. It initially projected 150 million Prime members in January of last year. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimated 142 million Prime members in the U.S. The figures place the streamer in the same league as  which ended the fourth quarter with nearly 204 million global paid streaming members. The company expects to add another 6 million during the first quarter of 2021.

Its Fire TV devices and platform have a subscriber count of 50 million active users, garnering in viewership through its third-party service availability, including HBO, Paramount+, Starz, Cinemax, and discovery+. The company also owns and operates IMDb TV, an ad-supported streaming service that’s helped Amazon’s AVOD audience top its 55 million goal.

The increase of Prime subscribers is undoubtedly informed by the now easing Covid-19 pandemic. The increase of new subscribers took place in less than half the time it took for Amazon to add its previous 50 million, with the company at 100 million Prime subscribers in April 2018. The total content spending includes licensing and production costs associated with video and music offered to Amazon’s Prime members, as well as costs associated with digital subscriptions and content that the company sells or rents, the company said. The company's large streaming video market presence has been reflected through its negotiations with programmers and has led to standoffs over distribution agreements. 

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