Amazon to take on Netflix with standalone video streaming service

Netflix had better watch its back – Amazon wants a slice of the video streaming pie

Amazon is reportedly on the cusp of announcing a video streaming deal with Viacom that would take the online retail giant a step closer to launching a standaloneNetflix-baitingon-demand video streaming service.

According to reports fromReuters, Viacom – which owns MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon – has given the go ahead to license its shows and films to Amazon, with an official announcement expected to be made soon.

With deals already in place with Warner, Sony, Fox, NBC and a bunch of other top networks, the Viacom signature could be the final hoop Amazon needs to jump through before launching a fully-fledged Netflix competitor and VoD subscription service.

As it stands, Amazon offers video-on-demand to Prime members, who pay £50 a year for the service. But Amazon wants to provide a standalone video streaming service to non-Prime members – probably for a monthly fee. It’d certainly boost the entertainment offering available to owners ofAmazon’s Kindle Fire.

It looks like Netflix had better watch its back. The battle for the streaming crown is certainly hotting up this year with Lovefilm, as well asApple, Google andSkyall gunning for a piece of the video streaming action.

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Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. 

Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge.

Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones.

He’s also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

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