Amazon’s Offers Digital TV Experience With New Streaming Partners Program

Amazon Video is currently one of the most popular destinations for viewers who want to stream TV shows and movies online. Now, thanks to a new service, those viewers have a lot more options. Amazon has launched the Streaming Partners Program, which allows users to purchase individual subscriptions for prominent video platforms.

With the new service, Amazon is essentially acting as a middleman between subscription services and their potential customers. On the Streaming Partners Program homepage, Amazon Prime customers can shop through a number of services, all of which come with their own offerings and pricing plans. At launch, Amazon’s partners are a diverse bunch; there are premium cable channels like Starz and Showtime, niche services like DramaFever and HooplaKidz, and newly-minted digital options like Screen Junkies Plus and Tribeca Shortlist.

Theoretically, Amazon, its partners, and viewers can all benefit from the new Program. Amazon gets to increase its offerings dramatically, the partners get access to fresh users (whose accounts will be managed by Amazon), and viewers get to consolidate multiple subscriptions in one place while also taking advantage of special deals (such as free trials).

What makes the Streaming Partners Program so interesting, however, is how little it resembles digital TV services like Sling TV. There’s no bundling involved in the Program; instead, customers only pay for the specific services they want. “The way people watch TV is changing, and customers need an easier way to subscribe to and enjoy multiple streaming subscriptions,” said Michael Paull, VP of Digital Video at Amazon, in a press release. “With the Streaming Partners Program, we’re making it easy for video providers to reach highly engaged Prime members, many of whom are already frequent streamers, and we’re making it easier for viewers to watch their favorite shows and channels.”

Amazon has left room to add new services to the Streaming Partners Program in the future. Potential partners can get more information here.