Amazon has signed a long term content licensing partnership with T-Series exclusive to Amazon Prime Video in India. Amazon Prime Video users will be able to stream the premieres of upcoming films including Tum Bin 2, Noor, Chef, Raabta, Simran, Hindi Medium, Wajah Tum Ho, Yaariyan 2 and Hate Story 4 from T-Series on the platform. Interestingly, Amazon says that the films will be available for streaming online before their TV broadcasts.
Over the last two months, Amazon has been ramping up its content partnerships with production houses to bag Bollywood titles. Prime Video is slated for an India launch in November.
This is in contrast with Netflix’s approach in India where it wants to produce Bollywood content for a global audience. Earlier this month, Netflix’s said that it would launch its original comedy series in India with comedian Vir Das. It also said it would stream Gangs of Wasseypur as a miniseries.
The Prime service launched in India at Rs 499 per year. The service basically lets Amazon users get same day and next day delivery and 30 minute early access to lightning deals. It would be priced at Rs 999 per year after the inaugural pricing period.
Amazon’s Previous content tie ups include:
– A long term agreement with Dharma Productions where it would stream films and upcoming releases from the production house on Prime Video in India. Users of Prime Video will get unlimited streaming of their movies under the subscription.
– A content deal with Mukesh Bhatt-owned Vishesh Films for movies and TV series to access Vishesh Films’ entire catalogue and other upcoming films.
– A partnership with Excel Entertainment for its first show called Power Play, which would be based on cricket and showbiz. Huffington Post reported that directors Vishal Bhardwaj and Vidhu Vinod Chopra had been brought in to create TV shows for Prime Video.
Amazon’s India investments
In June this year, less than a week after investing Rs 1,350 crore in its India operations, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced that a further $3 billion (about Rs 20,000 crore) would be invested in its India unit. The company had also pumped in funds worth Rs 1,980 crore (or $290 million) into its India unit in February this year.
Google Play Music in India
Interestingly, earlier today, Google launched Google Play Music, its streaming and music store, on PC and Android in India. Play Music was originally announced in May 2011, as an invitation-based beta service; was publicly launched in November 2011. Currently the service claims to have more than 35 million tracks with a subscription fee of $9.99 per month. Google had earlier shut down its music search and discovery service Google Music in July 2013, after launching it in October 2010.
YouTube Red
YouTube had launched a paid service called YouTube Red which allowed users to watch videos without ads, original content and listen to music tracks. The service was initially available in the US for $10 per month. The company then premiered original content programs on YouTube Red. Gizmodo had reported that YouTube Red subscription would also give access to Google Play Music.
