Amazon is about to find out whether TikTok users will bring common behaviors to Prime Video. The entertainment hub is now hosting short-form news clips that digest top headlines into bite-sized videos.
Prime Video’s short-form news content is collected in “curated playlists” that cover national and local stories. Users can find those selections by looking in the Trending Topics or Local News carousels on the Prime Video app. Amazon’s announcement indicates that the playlists will be populated with content from “multiple trusted news sources.” Outlets that are linked to the Prime Video homepage include ABC News Live, CBS News 24/7, LiveNOW from Fox, CNN Headlines, and NBC News NOW.
“Until now, customers coming to Prime Video for news could watch breaking news live or tune into full-length on-demand programs. But not everyone can catch breaking news the moment it happens,” said Prime Video Head of Global App Experience Brian Griffin in a statement. “With News Clips, customers have a quick and easy way to get caught up on the latest stories happening in their neighborhood and around the world. Combined with our extensive lineup of free 24/7 live news, Prime Video is becoming a truly comprehensive destination for news.”
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Aping TikTok’s approach to news distribution is a wise move. Since the start of the 2020s, an increasing number of young people have started treating TikTok like a news source. By getting updates on current events from short-form creators, 18-to-24-year-olds are shifting the news landscape. The New York Times updated its app to incorporate a TikTok-style feed, and Amazon is now following suit, too.
For Amazon, there’s just one problem: The News Clips playlists won’t necessarily feature the sources those TikTok users turn to. Creators, not legacy publications, are delivering many of the headlines on the For You Page. Those traditional outlets struggle to get as many followers as independent, digital-native journalists.
As Amazon learned with its Inspire tab, aping TikTok isn’t as simple as copying the app’s design. If the News Clips playlists fare better, they could end up with a wider rollout, but for now, the feature is limited to U.S.-based users who watch Prime Video on their TV screens.
