Amazon has announced that users will now be able to watch live TV through its Prime Video service, albeit for an increased subscription cost.
Users will now have the option to add live TV channels from a range of content providers such as ITV, Discovery Channel and Eurosport. The addition of this feature brings the UK up to speed with the US, who are already able to watch live TV from content giants like HBO and Showtime.
If you’re hoping to get on board with live TV functionality, you’ll have to pay additional fees on top of the £79 a year Amazon already charges for a Prime membership. For example, ITV’s network will be ad-free for £3.99, while Eurosport and the Discovery Channel will cost £6.99 and £4.99 respectively.
The roster of channels available via Amazon offers some pretty compelling viewing. For instance, Eurosport’s price tag is potentially justified by the channel’s coverage of the French Open tennis, which started on Monday.
The addition of live TV through Prime Video is another move by Amazon to differentiate itself from Netflix and other streaming services. The only question is how many users of the Prime Video service will be tempted to add live TV to their subscription without an incredibly tempting provider in the service’s lineup — unlike in the US, Sky has providers such as HBO and Showtime locked down and won’t want to let them go without a fight.
Related: Netflix vs Amazon Video
Will you be adding live TV to your Prime Video subscription? Sound off in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
