金融時報:有線電視市場：亞馬遜來了！

有線電視市場：亞馬遜來了！

亞馬遜為了競爭有線電視的份額，綁定視頻頻道如Showtime，Starz等公司的節(jié)目，制定了高級會員套餐并收取格外的一些費用

測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識：

vying競賽的

bundle打包

ecommerce電子商務

lessen減少

air廣播

footprint足跡

Amazon adds Showtime and Starz to bundle （442 words）

By Shannon Bond in New York

Amazon is vying to win over cable television “cord-cutters” by bundling subscription video channels from Showtime, Starz and other networks with its Prime membership programme for an additional fee.

The move allows the ecommerce group to broaden its offering of video content without having to pay higher licensing fees, and gives partners access to Amazon's distribution and billing infrastructure and a streaming-friendly audience that could help lessen their dependence on pay-TV providers.

As media companies, technology groups and cable and satellite operators introduce competing streaming packages, executives and analysts have begun to question how many services people will pay for. Amazon's bundling points to a possible solution by letting customers manage and pay for several services in one place.

“The way people watch TV is changing, and customers need an easier way to subscribe to and enjoy multiple streaming subscriptions,” said Michael Paull, Amazon's vice-president of digital video.

David Nevins, president of Showtime, the CBS-owned premium cable channel that airs Homeland, said: “By marrying Showtime with the powerhouse retail capabilities of Amazon, we continue to greatly expand our footprint, making sure our service is available to new subscribers whenever and however they want to watch us.”

Like Netflix, the biggest force in streaming video, and Hulu, the US service owned by Walt Disney, 21st Century Fox and Comcast, Amazon has been ploughing money into video programming. It has increased spending both on shows and movies licensed from media owners such as HBO and CBS and its own original programming, such as the Emmy-award winning series Transparent. It will spend $1.7bn on content this year compared with $500m in 2012, RBC Capital Markets estimates.

Amazon does not disclose the number of subscribers to its $99 a year Prime service, which includes on-demand video, music and free shipping, but Macquarie analysts estimate it has about 40m worldwide. Netflix has 43m US members and 69m in total around the world.

Prime members will be able to subscribe to Showtime for $8.99 a month — $2 less than Showtime charges for its standalone online offering. Hulu has also struck a deal to offer Showtime to its subscribers at the same discounted price.

The inclusion of Starz, a premium cable channel that was spun out of John Malone's Liberty Media in 2013, marks the first time the network has been offered online without a pay-TV subscription in the US. This year Starz launched online subscriptions in the Middle East.

Other channels available to prime members for an extra fee include AMC's SundanceNow documentary film service and Shudder horror film offering, A&E's Lifetime Movie Club, and streaming video from online-only providers including DramaFever, Defy Media and BroadbandTV.

請根據(jù)你所讀到的文章內(nèi)容，完成以下自測題目：

1.Emmy-award is whose programming？

A.Amazon

B.HBO

C.CBS

D.Netflix

答案(1)

2.How many Prime service subscribers Amazon has worldwide estimated by Macquarie analysts？

A.30m

B.43m

C.40m

D.69m

答案(2)

3.Who launched online subscriptions in Middle East in 2013？

A.Amazon

B.Showtime

C.Comcast

D.Starz

答案(3)

4.What advantage does Showtime enjoy when they cooperate with Amazon？

A.Reduce operational cost

B.Support from government

C.Expand their footprint

D.Retain their old subscribers

答案(4)

* * *

(1)答案：A.Amazon

解釋：Amazon加大了在視頻節(jié)目方面的投資，包括它自己旗下的Emmy-award。

(2)答案：C.40m

解釋：Macquarie analysts估計，Amazon全球范圍的高級服務訂閱戶為400萬人。

(3)答案：D.Starz

解釋：2013年，Starz在中東推出了在線訂閱。

(4)答案：C.Expand their footprint

解釋：David Nevins說，亞馬遜強大的零售能力使得Showtime可以繼續(xù)擴展他們的足跡。