Amazon Prime Video to launch over 40 new Indian shows, pay-per-view service

Transaction video-on-demand feature will be available for Rs 69 to Rs 499 for a one-time watch

Streaming giant Amazon Prime Video said on Thursday it will over the next two years launch 40 new titles, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu across original shows, movies and co-productions.

The company, which has completed five years in India, said that it was stepping into the pay-per-view movie service in the country with Prime Video Store, besides announcing new multi-year licensing deals and co-productions with various Indian studios. Amazon Prime Video has also forayed into original movie production in India with films in Hindi and Telugu, to be released directly on the platform.

Amazon Prime Video announced the plans as rival Netflix cuts back on content investment in India and the world after reporting a drop in global subscriber numbers in the first quarter of calendar year 2022.

In December, Netflix, considered a premium service, had slashed its mobile-only plan by 25 per cent to Rs 149 a month. While the basic subscription plan, which allows access to all content on any one device, was slashed by 60 per cent to Rs 199 a month. Some other plans saw a drop of 18-23 per cent in price.

Amazon Prime Video's pay-per-view or transaction video-on-demand (TVod) service will be available for Rs 69 to Rs 499 for a one-time watch. The film will be available on rent for 30 days after purchase and will have to be consumed within 48 hours once the service is activated.

"In tune with our vision to become an entertainment hub, we have steadily innovated in the way we offer movies to our consumers, from offering films in a post-theatrical early-window to direct-to-service premieres bringing movies to consumers’ living rooms and preferred devices," said Gaurav Gandhi, country head for Amazon Prime Video India, on Thursday.

"The launch of the TVoD movie rental service will not only give expanded reach to these films, but also give customers more choice in how they want to access and watch content," Gandhi said.

Amazon Prime Video is not the only OTT platform to offer a pay-per-view movie service in the country. In the past, ZeePlex, BookMyShow Stream and ShemarooMe have forayed into space with little success.

Yet, Amazon Prime Video's bet is intended to help shore up subscriber numbers, said experts, as it competes with Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix among other players for a bigger slice of the OTT market.

According to industry sources, Amazon Prime Video has a subscriber base of 17 million in India versus that of Disney+ Hotstar, which is estimated at around 36 million. Netflix has a subscriber base of around 5 million.