MUMBAI: Traditional television is far from dead as Amazon makes a decisive move into linear broadcasting with the launch of a new TV channel called Prime, exclusively for its Prime Video subscribers in Germany and Austria.
Set to debut on 17 April 2025, the channel represents Amazon's strategic push to bridge the gap between conventional television and streaming services, according to Christoph Schneider, country director of Prime Video Deutschland.
Speaking to German industry publication DWDL, Schneider explained the channel would serve as "an easy entry point into our Prime Video universe" for viewers who prefer the curated experience of traditional television rather than navigating through extensive on-demand libraries.
The programming schedule will feature Prime Video originals including Reacher, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Fallout, alongside live sports coverage of the UEFA Champions League for German viewers and Wimbledon tennis for both German and Austrian audiences.
Prime will maintain a distinct advantage over traditional television by featuring "shorter and less frequent" commercial breaks, whilst still adopting familiar TV-style advertising models that will be open to standard industry measurement.
The channel will launch with the premiere of the first two episodes of comedy series LOL: Last One Laughing at 20:15 CEST on its opening night, marking Amazon's latest effort to enhance its comprehensive streaming ecosystem that already encompasses subscription, ad-supported and transactional video-on-demand services.
(MAIN PICTURE COURTESY: KANTAR)
