The online retailer joins Netflix in moving into the Japanese video streaming market.
Amazon has said it plans to launch its video streaming service Amazon Prime Instant Video in Japan next month, making the announcement just days after Netflix unveiled further details of its Japanese debut.
The service will be free for existing Amazon Prime customers in Japan who pay $33 (Y3,900) a year for fast delivery of physical goods. Unlike Netflix, the company has an existing user base in Japan after being active as an ecommerce platform in the territory for more than a decade.
“As we’ve shown with the launch of Prime Video in the US and around the world, we are investing significantly to bring high-quality, local and popular programming to Prime members, and our customers in Japan should expect the same investment,” said Amazon Japan president Jasper Cheung.
“We’ve been offering videos and DVDs in Japan for 15 years – we know the entertainment customers want – and we plan to deliver it with Prime Video, all at no additional cost.”
Earlier this week, Netflix announced a tie-up with SoftBank Corp, which will offer Netflix services to its 37 million mobile phone customers when the global streaming giant lands in Japan on September 2.
Hulu sold its Japanese operations to Nippon TV in 2014. Although Japan boasts fast internet speeds and tech-savvy consumers, the traditional DVD market is still relatively strong and piracy low so online video has not grown as fast as in some other territories.
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