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Amazon Plans To Take on Roku By Vastly Expanding Its Free Ad-Supported Streaming Services: Report (medium.com)
Amazon is planning a vast expansion of its free streaming service on its Fire TV devices and has asked marketers to commit millions of dollars to support new channels and expanded content offerings, multiple people who held discussions with the company told Cheddar. From a report: Amazon has talked to executives at media companies and advertising agencies about its plans to include more ad-supported streaming channels to compete with Roku and Pluto TV, which offer free access to TV shows and movies with commercials. Advertisers are reluctant to pledge millions of dollars before they know what content Amazon would make available on the new channels, sources said. Some buyers said Amazon is asking for as much as a large cable network for advertising commitments. Since contracts for shows and movies to appear on the new services Amazon is planning are still being negotiated, there's little guaranteed programming to advertise against.
I feel like I've seen this episode before.
Don't be afraid of Amazon. My next box is going to be a Roku for two reasons:
- less expensive than Apple TV
- you're getting AirPlay functions
- Unlike Amazon, I don't see Roku getting into a conflict of interests with Netflix, which is the only streaming service I use
Because we just don't have quite enough advertising in our lives as it is :|
Something something dark side.
#DeleteFacebook
Complete with adverts surrounding the screen.
I used almost exclusively Roku players for streaming for many years. Almost from their start, but lately their new hardware has giving me fits with freeze ups, and warnings that the player has overheated. I've sent two back because of this, and my current one has horrible wifi signal reception. So much so I get warnings it can't stream because of bandwidth issues. Even though all my other devices are averaging around 40mbps the Roku is at 12Mbps. If another Roku dies I am going with Amazon or maybe Apple because Roku seems to have cheapened their hardware too much.
I watch Amazon Prime on my Roku. I am not interested in Amazon hardware. The minute I see an add on my Prime video I will drop that shit like a bad habit.
this means they will be pulling more content from prime video subscribers. It was bad enough t be in a middle of a prime video selection when it got moved to the amazons imdb freedive ad supported channel I guess they learned their lesson with the Anime Strike channel. that channel required a prime subscription and an additional subscription for the anime. nobody wanted to pay extra for the amazon channel so now they are trying ads..
as far as roku, I got tired of waiting through five minutes of commercials only to be told the video was not available or getting three minutes or more of commercials every seven minutes. it is now gathering dust.
I wouldn't want to buy an Amazon device because it can't run everything - a Roku can. Amazon is busy having a little fight with Google and they won't work with each other's services. If Amazon is smart, they'll just release their expanded service on Roku and get a lot more eyeballs on their advertising.
roku devices are just players and an 'app host' for others' streaming services, sometimes for free, sometimes via ppv or direct sub (ala netflix)... amazon is one such provider, but they're also a content creator.. roku don't do that... if anything, this HELPS roku, so long as bezos don't get a stick up his ass and ban roku from accessing the 'free' stuff from prime.
Oops... I meant ... FUCK! Ads.
Something something something, COMPLETE.
Amazon's inability to get along with Netflix and Google (no YouTube on Fire) is why Roku makes FireTV look like a joke. That was the determining factor in my decision to go with Roku instead of Fire.