STORY: Amazon’s Prime Video is taking on Hollywood.
It's starting to look more like a traditional media company...
...with its own film studio...
...offering original movies with stars like Reese Witherspoon and Octavia Spencer….
...as well as live sports.
It wants to become your go-to entertainment destination - with something for everyone.
But can it take on streaming giants YouTube and Netflix?
Here’s how Prime Video is trying to get you to watch.
:: How Prime Video is trying to get you to watch
Talent agents say the ideal Prime Video project is like an airport novel — a commercial page turner.
The company's on the hunt for more action-thriller series like "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan".
Or romance movies like "The Idea of You" - which attracted nearly 50 million viewers in its first two weeks.
It wants more broadly appealing fare with a global reach...
All with its talent roster that now increasingly features Hollywood's A-list.
And it continues to place calculated big bets.
It spent $150 million to adapt video game "Fallout" as a series... now Prime Video's second most watched.
One agent said recognizable characters and stories are critical - because Amazon tends to attract people seeking out specific shows, rather than browsing through - like Netflix.
But Amazon has struggled creatively at times too.
Thriller "Citadel" was an expensive miss - it had tepid reviews and failed to make Nielsen's streaming rankings in the U.S.
Amazon's aspirations go beyond just movies and shows though.
Prime Video is the first streaming service to land an exclusive deal with the NBA.
By 2025, its year-round sports programming will include NFL football, NASCAR, the WNBA Finals and Champions League soccer.
All that puts Prime Video in a good spot to capture a greater share of the $30 billion pie out there for digital ad revenue in streaming this year.
More of its shows broke into Nielsen’s Top 10 ranking of most-streamed original series last year…
....though Netflix still reigns supreme for now.
As of June, Prime lagged behind it and YouTube for streaming views, as measured by Nielsen.
