Wait, Why Aren’t These Channels Free with My Prime Video Subscription?
By Movieguide® Contributor
The addition of other streaming services’ channels on Prime Video has some users confused about what their subscription actually includes.
The Prime Video subscription comes with an impressive array of content — especially because the service is already an add-on to Amazon Prime at no extra cost — and the platform’s library has grown even larger with the introduction of other streaming services’ catalogs. Users, however, have gotten confused when they go to access this content and find it is not a complementary part of the service.
While channels like Max, Showtime, Paramount+ and Discovery+ are all available on Prime Video’s platform, users are still required to subscribe to the respective service to access the content. These channels are available on Prime Video as an ease of access feature, turning the platform into an entertainment hub.
Disney introduced a similar system earlier this year when it added Hulu as a channel on Disney+ in the spring. The integration of the two platforms allows users to watch shows from either streaming service — but only if they are paying for both subscriptions.
“Its whole goal is to make happier subscribers and healthier subscribers, provide them convenience, deeper engagement, better retention, and increase the value of the Disney bundle for our subscribers,” Joe Earley, President of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment, said in March.
Under the Prime Video iteration of the strategy, users can link their accounts with the platform to access the content and bring their entertainment under one roof. After signing into Prime Video, users can go to Accounts & Lists within settings, click on Your Prime Video, Channels and then See More. This will bring up a list of supported channels which they can then click on to sign in or sign up for.
