Amazon Prime Video launches mobile-only plan in India, teams up with Airtel

New Delhi, January 13

Amazon on Wednesday announced its first mobile-only Prime Video plan at a starting price of Rs 89 per month as it looks to woo entertainment-hungry smartphone users in the country.

The single-user plan will initially be available for Bharti Airtel's prepaid users, the company said.

After a 30-day free trial, the Rs 89 for 28-day plan will come with 6 gigabytes of data.

The introduction of the mobile-only plans in India is a global first for the company that competes against players like Netflix, Disney+Hotstar and Zee5, among others.

"India is one of our fastest growing markets globally with very high engagement rates. Buoyed by this response, we want to double-down on our efforts and reach out to an even larger audience. Powered by affordable data, smartphones have become the preferred screen for entertainment in India," Amazon Prime Video India Director and Country General Manager Gaurav Gandhi said.

He, however, declined to comment on the number of subscribers of Amazon Prime Video in India.

Amazon Prime Video rival, Netflix introduced a similar mobile-only subscription plan in India for Rs 199 last year.

Bringing in mobile-only plans helps content streaming platforms tap into larger audiences, especially in smaller towns and those consuming content on the go.

Prime Video Mobile Edition is a single-user mobile-only plan, providing SD (standard definition) quality streaming to customers which is created especially for a mobile-first country like India, Gandhi said.

As part of the Prime Video Mobile Edition launch in India, all Airtel customers on bundled prepaid packs can avail a 30-day free trial by signing up to Amazon from the Airtel Thanks app using their mobile number.

After the 30 day-free trial, Airtel customers can access Prime Video Mobile Edition through prepaid recharges starting at Rs 89 for 28-day access to the service along with 6GB data.

Customers who want features like multi-user access, streaming across devices including smart TVs and HD/UHD content along with access to Prime benefits like Prime Music and free fast delivery on Amazon.in can recharge with a 30-day Amazon Prime membership at Rs 131 or recharge with a Rs 349 pack of 28-day validity.

The recharges will be available on the Airtel Thanks app and over a million recharge points across the country.

"Over the last four years, Prime Video has become the country's most loved premium streaming service with viewership coming from over 4,300 towns and cities. We believe that the Mobile Edition plan will further accelerate Prime Video's adoption in India," Gandhi said.

Amazon Prime Video will continue to be available as part of Amazon's Prime offering that is available for Rs 999 annually or Rs 129 a month.

Over the top (OTT) players like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+Hotstar have seen massive growth in the past few years on the back of cheap data tariffs and availability of affordable smartphones. The adoption of these digital platforms was further accelerated during the pandemic amid restricted social activities like visits to movie theatres.

"At Airtel, we are deeply passionate about delivering a differentiated experience to our customers through our Airtel Thanks program. We are happy to partner with Amazon to democratize quality digital entertainment in India by leveraging Airtel's core strengths of quality customers, deep distribution and best-in-class network for video," Bharti Airtel Chief Marketing Officer Shashwat Sharma said. — PTI 

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