HISTORY OF AMAZON PRIME VIDEO.
In 2005, Amazon announced the creation of Amazon Prime, a membership service offering free two-day shipping within the contiguous United States on all eligible purchases for an annual fee of $79 (equivalent to $103 in 2019),[6] and discounted one-day shipping rates.[7] Amazon launched the program in Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom in 2007; in France (as "Amazon Premium") in 2008, in Italy in 2011, in Canada in 2013,[8] in India in July 2016[9] and in Mexico in March 2017.[10] According to Amazon, there are now[when?] Prime members in 17 countries in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.[11]
From 2012 to 2016
Amazon Prime membership in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, India, and the United States also provides Amazon Video,[12] the instant streaming of selected films and TV programs at no additional cost.[13] In November 2011, it was announced that Prime members had access to the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, which allows users to borrow up to one a month of specified popular Kindle e-books.[14] People with an email address at an academic domain such as .edu or .ac.uk, typically students, are eligible for Prime Student privileges, including discounts on Prime membership.[15]
In March 2014, Amazon increased the annual US membership fee for Amazon Prime from $79 to $99.[6][16] Shortly after this change, Amazon announced Prime Music, providing unlimited, ad-free music streaming.[17] In November 2014, Amazon added Prime Photos, adding unlimited storage of files deemed to be photographs in the users' Amazon Drive.[18][19][20] Amazon began offering free same-day delivery to Prime members in 14 United States metropolitan areas in May 2015.[21]
In April 2015, Amazon started a trial partnership with Audi and DHL in order to deliver directly into the trunks of Audi cars, available in the Munich, Germany area to some Audi-connected car users.[22]
In December 2015, Amazon stated that "tens of millions" of people were Amazon Prime members.[23] Amazon Prime added 3 million members during the third week of December 2015.[24] That month Amazon announced the creation of the Streaming Partners Program,[25] a subscription service that provides Amazon Prime subscribers with additional streaming video services. Among the programming providers involved in the program are Showtime, Starz. Lifetime Movie Club (containing recent original movie titles from Lifetime Television and Lifetime Movie Network), Smithsonian Earth, and Qello Concerts.
2016 onward
In January 2016, Amazon Prime reached 54 million members according to a report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.[26] Several reports in January 2016 said that nearly half of all U.S. households were members of Amazon Prime at that time.[27]
In April 2016, Amazon announced same-day delivery would be expanded to include the areas of Charlotte, Cincinnati, Fresno, Louisville, Milwaukee, Nashville, Central New Jersey, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Stockton, and Tucson, bringing total coverage to 27 metro areas.[28][29]
In September 2016, Amazon launched a restaurant delivery service for Prime members in London, England, with free delivery on all orders over £15.[30]
In September 2016, Amazon subsidiary Twitch announced features available to users with an Amazon Prime subscription (Twitch Prime), including monthly offers of video games and add-on content, and the ability to purchase a free subscription to a user's channel once per-month.[31][32] Amazon then partnered with different game developers offering in-game loots as rewards to subscribers. Games included with the loot rewards were Apex Legends, Legends of Runeterra, FIFA Ultimate Team, Teamfight Tactics, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Doom Eternal, and more.[33]
In December 2016, Amazon began offering Prime membership for an alternative monthly, instead of yearly fee, of $10.99 per month,[34] increased to $12.99 in February 2018.[35]
In December 2016, Amazon announced Wickedly Prime, an own-brand line of food and beverages available to Prime members.[36]
Amazon announced Prime Wardrobe, a service that lets customers try on clothes before they pay, in June 2017.[37]
In 2017, Amazon announced the Prime Exclusive Phone program, which offers some smartphones displaying Amazon ads on the lock screen from companies including LG, Motorola and Nokia at a discount.[38]
In May 2018, Amazon increased the annual US Prime membership fee from $99 to $119.[39]
In June 2019, Amazon expanded their one-day delivery with Amazon Prime, stating that Prime Free One Day was available to U.S. members on more than 10 million products with no minimum purchase.[40]
On March 3, 2020, Amazon announced it installed "mini-fulfillment centers" in select U.S. cities, including Dallas, Orlando, Philadelphia, and Phoenix to reduce same-day delivery times. [41]
Later the same month, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime express delivery dates for various in-stock items reached delays of up to a month in the US instead of the usual 1-2 days, as Amazon struggled to meet demand and announced it would prioritize the most essential items.[42]
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