The Grand Tour Show To Be Streamed In Over 200 Markets as Amazon Prime Video Goes Global (mashable.com)

For years, Amazon's Prime Video on-demand streaming service has been available in limited regions, such as the United States and United Kingdom (along with a handful of other markets), but that's changing now. Amazon is expanding the Prime Video service to more than 200 new markets. The announcement comes via The Grand Tour motor show, which premieres in select places Friday. Earlier this week, show's hosts -- Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May -- posted on Amazon website that their new show will be streamed in over 200 nations (pretty much everywhere where BBC's Top Gear is broadcasted and streamed). Speaking of which, fans of the Grand Tour will be able to watch the show worldwide starting next month, and once Prime Video is available in their region, they will be able watch new episodes at the same time as others. The move comes months after Netflix expanded to 130 new regions in January this year. Netflix is available in roughly 200 territories as well.

Comments

Re:Back to the old model

[Richard_at_work]

There was a discussion about this several months back, and the conclusion is exactly as you suggest - theres little to no binge factor with these style of programs, so Amazon gets more PR value from releasing them weekly than all at once. So thats the model chosen for TGT.

As for the show itself, while it certainly is going to take a few episodes to adjust to the its-not-Top-Gear-no-its-really-not new feel, there was nothing in this first episode which really jarred or felt ... uncomfortable. They had some obvious "this is intended to be stupid" moments, and some "lets take the wee out of the last season (Evans) of Top Gear obviously stupid" moments (I don't think that the mind test segment will return, it was just a McGuffin to take the wee out of some of the abysmal changes in TG post-Clarkson).

Over all, definitely looking to the next episode. This does seem to have what it takes to be a success from the moment it hit the ground.

Re:Oh wow, streaming TV content? AMAZING.

[Oswald McWeany]

Top Gear was the most watched non-fiction television show in the world when these three were the hosts. It stands to reason that there would be interest in their newest endeavor, even if you personally don't have an interest.