Standing out from the crowd is about providing something no one else offers. For Amazon Video that was offering cord cutters traditional cable channels without the obligation of expensive long-term contracts. But with additional viewing options comes a level of complexity unmatched by other streaming services. So, when Add-on Subscriptions—30+ ad-free channels such as STARZ, SHOWTIME, and more—was released as the latest offer type in late 2015, we needed to rethink how channel content was surfaced and categorized for customers. This effort included a broad evaluation and update of the existing Amazon Video service to accommodate for customers to browse, sign up for and stream movies and TV shows available on dozens of content channels.

The launch of 3rd-party subscriptions on Amazon Video included premium cable channels such as SHOWTIME and STARZ, as well as a variety based on particular areas of interest—including Acorn TV for world-class British television, Tribeca Shortlist for award-winning & independent films, plus much more. The signup process was optimized for simplicity, allowing Prime members to quickly signup and begin streaming immediately, with the option to cancel at anytime without any longterm commitment. If a customer isn’t already a Prime member, they can sign up for a 30-day free trial of Prime at the same time.

The addition of 3rd party subscriptions brought thousands of new movies and TV shows to Amazon Video customers. But, in a service that already offers hundreds of thousands of movies and TV episodes included with Prime and available to rent or buy, finding the right content that fits a customer’s needs or special area of interest can be challenging, which is why we created numerous way-finding devices. Customers can discover premium subscription content either by browsing branded carousels, dive deep into the collection page for each premium subscription channel, or discover new and interesting titles & channels through merchandising found across the Amazon Video service.

At launch, we positioned the product as a premium Add-on Subscription allowing existing and new Prime members to customize/enhance their video watching experience all for a great price and accessible from a single app, with no cable or satellite subscription required. We emphasized that it includes same-day streaming, with new episodes available the moment of premiere, plus a variety of content customers can enjoy with selection growing every month. We included the value of getting world-class Amazon customer service support, with the convenience of being able to cancel their monthly subscriptions easily and anytime. Post launch we continued to test these and other marketing channels able to provide traction as we continued to grow the subscription channels business.