Amazon Prime Video Channels: All of the TV channels you may add to your Prime account

Cutting the cable TV cord could be overwhelming. There are such a lot of new names and streaming services, so many locations to get TV reveals and films, and so many pricing choices that determining which one’s best for you is like an infinite recreation of whack-a-mole. Amazon Prime Video, included along with your Amazon Prime membership subscription, is one such choice. Finest identified for its original series resembling The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Expanse, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and the upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel, it is also residence to 1000’s of hours of TV reveals and films which you could stream instantly, much like Netflix.

If that collection of video is not sufficient, Amazon allows you to add what it calls Channels for added month-to-month charges. They vary from well-known names like Starz, Showtime, Discovery Plus, Paramount Plus and MLB.TV to specialty providers resembling BritBox and Sundance Now to PBS subscriptions, together with PBS Children and PBS Masterpiece. 

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So is including any of them worthwhile? How do they examine with stand-alone choices like HBO Max? How does the choice examine with Roku and Apple TV channels? The place do different providers like Netflix or Disney Plus slot in? Let’s break it down.

What precisely do you get with Amazon Prime?

Earlier than we get into Channels themselves, it is value breaking down what your fundamental Prime membership will get you. Listed below are the highlights.

That is simply among the 21 benefits every member gets. The price of a Prime membership, earlier than including any Amazon Prime Video channels, is $119 per yr.

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What are Amazon Prime Video Channels, and the way do I get them?

Channels are optionally available add-ons for Prime subscribers, for an extra month-to-month price, that present on-demand or stay streaming entry to TV reveals, films and different video content material from a supplier. Subscribers can entry the content material from all suitable Prime Video gadgets, together with by way of the Amazon Prime Video app on sensible TVs and streaming devices, Android and iOS telephones and tablets, computer systems and Amazon’s personal Fireplace TV gadgets and Fireplace tablets.

Signing up for a specific channel is simple for Prime members.

1. Register to your Amazon account.

2. Browse to Amazon’s list of channels.

3. Discover the channel you need and choose it.

4. Click on by way of to the principle banner above the listing of reveals and films.

5. You will see a button, usually 7 day free trial or Get began (if no trial is obtainable). Click on it.

6. Enter your PIN (if in case you have one arrange).

7. Verify particulars to buy.

That is it. When you affirm the acquisition, your Amazon account might be charged, usually on a month-to-month foundation, for the price of the Channel, and you will have immediate entry to all of its TV reveals and films.

I haven’t got a Prime subscription. Can I exploit Prime Channels?

No. Solely lively Prime subscribers can add Prime Channels. Amazon additionally does not give entry to customers beforehand invited to share delivery advantages with a Prime member. See the Prime Video Channels section here for particulars.

What are the foremost Prime Video Channels?

Amazon has greater than 100 totally different channels, and plenty of of them are small specialty channels that match into genres like Children, British, Health, Comedy, Romance and LQBTQ. This is a have a look at among the main ones and the way a lot they price.

Can I watch stay TV on Amazon Prime Video Channels?

Sure, however the choice is restricted.

Typical stay “channels” within the cable TV sense, like ABC, CBS, CNN, ESPN, Fox and the remaining, aren’t out there as Prime Video Channels. To observe these you may must subscribe to cable or a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV or Sling TV, which begins at $35 monthly.

Amazon does provide a “live guide,” nonetheless, that features TV reveals and films organized in a channel grid type. Some are free, no subscription required, and a few are unlocked if you subscribe to a Channel. The Fixer Higher Channel, for instance, is accessible within the stay information if you subscribe to the Discovery Plus Prime Video Channel.

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Are you able to subscribe to HBO Max through Prime Video Channels? What about other channels like MLB.TV?

As of August, HBO Max is no longer offered as a Prime Video Channel. Though it may be inconvenient to have to access a separate app, the stand-alone HBO Max subscription is still available for $15. 

Surprisingly for Amazon, subscribing through Channels doesn’t save money compared with subscribing to the services directly. As for other channels like MLB.TV, the monthly fees for Prime channels and their stand-alone equivalents are the same for every service we checked. 

If Prime Video Channels cost the same (or more), what’s the appeal of going through Amazon?

The main benefit of using Prime Channels is that it provides one place — the Prime Video app, a Fire tablet or Fire TV — to access content from multiple providers. Instead of watching Grand Designs via the separate BritBox app, for example, you watch it within Prime Video. Billing is also handled by one central source (Amazon itself). Content from channels is also often included in Amazon’s search indexes, making it easier to find on Fire TV devices or via Alexa voice search.

Some services like BritBox, Acorn TV and CuriosityStream do offer yearly discounts that aren’t available through Prime Channels. For example, the BritBox channel costs $7 per month as both a Prime Channel and via its stand-alone app, but the stand-alone subscription is also available for $70 per year, which works out to $5.83 per month. Aside from MLB.TV, nearly all Prime Video Channels are monthly subscriptions only.

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Can I bundle all my streaming services with Amazon? Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus?

Sorry, nope. None of these stand-alone services is available as an Amazon Channel yet. To watch content from those services you’ll have to use their individual apps.

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PBS content is already free. Why would I pay extra for it through Amazon Prime?

Because Amazon gives you more. PBS has a few Channels like PBS Kids and PBS Masterpiece ($5 and $6 per month, respectively) that include content that’s also available elsewhere — including a basic Amazon Prime subscription and the separate PBS Kids and PBS apps — for free. In general the PBS Prime Channels have a larger selection and more current episodes than the free alternatives.

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How are Prime Video Channels different from Roku or Apple TV?

With the popularity of Amazon Channels, other streaming providers are following suit. Apple’s TV app offers channels in a very similar way to Amazon, albeit with fewer choices. And Roku has its own premium subscription system at The Roku Channel that’s similar to both, but again with a smaller selection of add-on channels than Amazon.

Where can I find out more about subscribing to Prime Video Channels?

Check out Amazon’s Prime Video support page and main Channels page for more details.

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