‘Amazon Channels’ Might Beat Apple to Creating a Cable-Like Streaming Experience, New Report Suggests

Amazon’s Channels service could eventually offer a cable-like experience, beating Apple to the punch, a new report suggests. The program, which was first launched a year ago, allows Amazon Prime members to sign up for various video services through its platform — consolidating what might be separate channels and services into a single platform. In its first year, the program has proven to be popular, and an overall success, according to The Information.

And although various networks and video networks were initially skeptical of offering their service through the program — for all intents and purposes, a competitor — some of them now see Amazon as their greatest chance of selling subscriptions. And that might be important, as the percentage of households that pay for traditional cable TV has been declining for some time, according to Business Insider.

Evan Shapiro, an NBCUniversal spokesperson, told The Information that Amazon has succeeded in marketing to customers who wish to consolidate their billing and subscriptions into one platform, according to AppleInsider. And Channels could even help networks and video services reply on new platforms quicker. Amazon has reportedly been in discussions with content providers about creating a bundle of live TV channels similar to the independent Sling TV, or Sony’s PlayStation Vue.

All of this might mean that Apple, which has been cultivating such an idea for years, is lagging behind its competitors. Cupertino has reportedly been working on a similar live TV service, but has yet to make any progress in its discussions with networks and video service providers. Though we’re not entirely sure why, it could be because Apple’s negotiations have been uncompromising.

A Wall Street Journal article from July of this year even called Apple’s content offers “stunningly low.” Apple’s demand to lock in monthly rates per viewer — in stark contrast to how networks usually provide content subscriptions — may have alienated cable networks and other video service providers as well.