A common complaint about cable isn’t the lack of channels; it’s the lack of things to watch. To get the three channels they actually want, consumers also have to accept 497 channels they’re never going to watch. Amazon Prime seems to be in the early stages of trying to fix that, though, as its new Streaming Partners Program will allow members to add subscription programming from nearly 20 channels for an additional fee. People can choose the channels they want, switch them in and out from month to month, and have access to their programing through Amazon Prime’s interface.
The two biggest draws that Amazon has so far are Showtime (Ray Donovan, Homeland) and Starz (Outlander, Ash Vs. Evil Dead). At $8.99 a month, Showtime is currently two dollars cheaper than the deal available through iTunes. And this is the first time that Starz is available anywhere outside of an obligatory cable subscription available through companies like Time Warner and Comcast. Also available are channels like The Lifetime Movie Club and Shudder, and Amazon says it plans to add more channels to the roster as it works out legalities.
[via Variety]