Streaming services nowadays are becoming more and more popular with consumers ready to cut their cable cords, and Amazon Prime is one of the top services available. Although Netflix remains king on the streaming circuit, Amazon has expanded its video library in some big ways in recent years. Now, we may have a good idea of just how many people watch streaming video on Amazon Prime, and it's an impressive number. Amazon can probably boast more than 25 million customers.
Amazon has never officially released information about streaming viewership, but internal company documents obtained by Reuters indicate that approximately 26 million Amazon Prime subscribers stream video programming, which includes original TV shows, series licensed from other companies, and films. While the 26 million is still significantly lower than recent numbers reported by Netflix, it's a number that bodes well for Amazon as it continues to produce new originals.
Of course, Amazon has more than one goal with the production of original series. Unlike Netflix and other streaming outlets like Hulu, Amazon also sells products, and a subscription to Amazon Prime means access to two-day shipping and other perks in addition to streaming video. According to the internal documents, analysts assert that the originals available on Amazon Prime account for up to one quarter of the new Prime subscriptions from the end of 2014 to early 2017, which is a pretty big deal. If Amazon continues producing originals that attract viewers, subscriptions to Prime could continue to rise.
All things considered, Amazon certainly looks to be producing more and more ambitious projects for streaming fans. Despite giving some promising shows the axe back in 2017, there are plenty of high-profile projects in the works. Amazon is shelling out a whole lot of money to finance a Lord of the Rings series that will run for at least two seasons and potentially launch a spinoff. Signing off on such a huge project was a bold move that could backfire in a big way if the series flops. Still, it could also put Amazon on the map with streaming fans on a whole new level. Sure, shows like The Man in the High Castle and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are engaging and have won their share of fans, but Lord of the Rings has the name recognition of a highly popular book series and an incredibly successful film franchise.
A Jack Ryan series starring John Krasinski will premiere later this year, and Arnold Schwarzenegger signed on for his first dramatic TV role. Julia Roberts has a show in the works, and Amazon managed to recruit the BoJack Horseman creator away from Netflix for a different animated series. Amazon even had a hilarious Super Bowl commercial! The Transparent issues with Jeffrey Tambor obviously haven't done the company any good, but there are projects in the works that prove Amazon is very much still in the streaming video game.
For your current Amazon Prime viewing options, be sure to swing by our 2018 Amazon Prime guide. For some primetime options, take a look at our midseason TV premiere schedule.
