Amazon MX Player, a free, ad-supported streaming service exclusive to the Indian market, and Prime Video are merging into one service. The move will turn Prime Video into a one-stop entertainment hub for Indian users.
The integration between the two services will turn Prime Video into India’s largest streaming service. It will also mark the end of the Amazon MX Player platform, which was formed in 2024 when Amazon acquired key MX Player assets and integrated them with the Amazon MiniTV service.
The merger between the Amazon MX Player and Prime Video will also bring about several changes for Indian streamers. These include the type of content they will be able to access and how they will access it.
Amazon MX Player and Prime Video are combining their libraries
Content is one of the biggest changes for users following the Amazon MX Player and Prime Video merger.
Both streaming services are combining their libraries, creating a single library that will now include Prime Video’s premium content and MX Player’s extensive, locally-focused free content.
Gaurav Gandhi, Prime Video’s Vice President Asia-Pacific and ANZ, lauded the merger, stating:
“Our focus at Prime Video has always been to bring authentic stories that reflect the diversity of our audiences. With the integration of Amazon MX Player’s expansive original slate and audience scale, our collective offering is bigger and stronger than ever.”
What will happen to the Amazon MX Player platform?
While the Amazon MX Player service is ending, the platform’s Android app will remain operational. However, Amazon will rebrand the app to offer a dedicated Prime Video experience, with an option for users to subscribe to the Prime service.
However, the MX Player service on other platforms (iOS and TV apps and the web service) will be phased out, with these platforms redirecting users to Prime Video.
A unified app experience for all Indian users
The integration of Amazon MX Player into Prime Video will create a hybrid streaming ecosystem that houses Advertising Video on Demand (AVOD), Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD), Transactional Video on Demand, and add-on subscriptions in one hub.
The hybrid ecosystem will offer a unified app experience for all Indian users, where both free (MX Player) and Prime users will access content on the same platform.
Free users will regain access to legacy free content (that was previously on the MX Player) and gain access to additional free titles from Prime Video. However, they will also encounter unskippable ads during playback.
Prime Video users will retain their original viewing experience, where they will have access to premium subscription content. In addition, they will also gain access to ad-supported content from the MX Player platform.