IMDb TV, Amazon’s free streaming service, launches in the U.K.

Amazon has brought its ad-supported free streaming service, IMDb TV, to the U.K, packing both original and licensed content that wasn’t available on Prime Video before. IMDb TV launched in the U.S. a few years ago, and the service only recently announced an iOS and Android app. It’s initially going to be available via a carousel in Prime Video, though in the coming weeks, a standalone app will also be available on Fire TV. No subscription to Amazon Prime is required.

IMDb TV’s launch in the U.K. comes with a smaller selection of TV shows and movies for now, but it will be expanded in the future. Original U.S. content is available such as “Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary” and “Moment of Truth”, but both of those are produced by Amazon Studios as IMDb TV exclusives. In the U.K., “Pulp Fiction” and “2 Broke Girls” are also available on the service. Ryan Pirozzi, co-head of content and programming at IMDb TV alongside Lauren Anderson, told Variety that the selection will be tailored specifically to customers in the U.K.

“Free streaming services are not unique, especially in the U.K., where there’s several broadcaster options [such as BBC iPlayer and Channel 4’s All4],” Pirozzi told Variety. “I think what is unique about us is ambitious, premium original series from Amazon Studios inside a free service: that is much more unique.”

As Pirozzi notes, Amazon likes to refer to IMDb TV as “the modern version of a network.” It’s seen as complementary to Prime Video, and they want to produce content that people might expect will be behind a paywall. The company hasn’t written off U.K. exclusive original content yet either, though it’s not happening any time soon.  Pirozzi says that the launch of IMDb TV is still “day one” for them and that they’re still learning from customers. The service is funded by advertisements that are shown in the middle of programming, and is entirely free to use.

If you live in the U.K., you can check out IMDb TV now.

The post IMDb TV, Amazon’s free streaming service, launches in the U.K. appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2XYfa0q
via IFTTT