Prime Video Officially Enters New Short-Form Content Era

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

In the streaming era, Prime Video has a few things that set it apart from its competitors, programming-wise. The platform has become most recognizable for its action fare, thanks in part to Reacher and Cross, as well as procedurals like the entire Bosch franchise and movies like The Wrecking Crew. However, in recent years, it has also increasingly built a slate of buzzy young adult series, touting its "obsessions" from Maxton Hall to Sterling Point and Off-Campus. Not to be forgotten are The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which has been the platform's big-budget fantasy tentpole, and Invincible and The Boys, its two mature superhero hits.

One thing that hasn't been particularly present on Amazon's streamer, however, is short-form content. While the primary competitors for the modern streamers may be each other, they also have to fight for time against YouTube, TikTok, and other sites that offer a seemingly endless stream of free content and have mastered the art of shorter-form videos for entertainment, news, and more. Prime Video is now looking to catch up by leaning into its already robust dedicated news destination. For U.S. customers with or without a subscription to the service, the platform is rolling out on-demand news clips from major local and national media that can be viewed entirely for free. These shorts will provide a way within the streamer to keep up with breaking stories, weather, and more without replacing their existing free 24/7 live coverage through ABC News Live, CBS News 24/7, LiveNOW from Fox, CNN Headlines, NBC News NOW, and other FAST channels.

As part of Prime Video's push into the bite-sized news market, there will be a lineup of curated playlists gathering multiple clips from across trusted news sources to capture the important stories of that day. For now, these videos are only rolling out across living room apps, with the official website and mobile app including this feature soon. They'll be located on the dedicated news page by navigating down to the Trending Topics or Local News carousel. It's all designed to tap into how most modern audiences absorb their news nowadays, though for those who want further coverage from channels like MS Now, or the full slate of CNN and Fox content, third-party subscriptions on Prime Video, including Peacock Premium Plus, Paramount+, FOX One, or CNN All Access, are still available.