Amazon miniTV merges with MX Player to expand ad-supported streaming

Amazon on Monday announced the acquisition of select assets of MX Player, including the MX Player app, to merge with its ad-supported video-on-demand (AVoD) service, Amazon miniTV.

This combined entity will be known as Amazon MX Player. The merger aims to provide a wide range of premium and free content to over 250 million users, making it one of India’s largest free streaming services, the company said in its statement.

“It’s about enabling all brands, not just the ones selling on Amazon, to reach and deliver relevant advertising to a large and engaged base across India. It’s about directly measuring outcomes from the top of the funnel to the bottom,” said Girish Prabhu, head of Amazon Advertising India, in a statement.

Amazon MX Player, with a combined library of originals and hit shows like Aashram, Dharavi Bank, Campus Diaries, Physicswallah, and Yeh Meri Family, as well as a collection of popular Korean, Mandarin, and Turkish shows dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, will reach a wider audience base. Viewers can access it through apps on mobile, Amazon.in, Prime Video, Fire TV, and connected TVs.

Amazon will continue to invest in originals and returning seasons of popular shows, providing advertisers the opportunity to deepen relationships with viewers, the e-commerce giant added in a statement. Amazon owns Prime Video, a subscription-based video-on-demand (SVoD) service, and Amazon miniTV, an ad-supported over-the-top (OTT) platform introduced in May 2021.

“Being part of Amazon will let us continue to delight millions of viewers across the country,” said Karan Bedi, head of Amazon MX Player, in a statement. “We will offer high-quality entertainment and streaming experiences faster than we could have done independently, while continuing to keep the service free. This merger will mean great things for our viewers, advertisers, and content partners, and will bring MX Player to even more people in India.”