Amazon Prime Video is adding short-form news clips to its platform, expanding its existing local, national and international news coverage with on-demand video designed for quicker viewing. The clips are available first on TVs and other living room devices, with web, iOS and Android support planned next.
The new format will appear inside Prime Video’s News destination, including its Trending Topics and Local News carousels. Amazon said the news section remains available to U.S. viewers regardless of whether they subscribe to Prime.
Short Clips Join Prime Video’s Existing News Offering
In its official announcement, Amazon said the clips will cover both local and national stories from its existing network of news providers. The company has not yet said whether the mobile versions will use the vertical video format commonly associated with TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
The expansion gives Prime Video another format for viewers who increasingly consume news in shorter sessions. TikTok and Instagram have become important news sources for younger audiences, particularly Gen Z, although research suggests presentation style matters alongside video length.
Pew Research has found that younger audiences often encounter news through creators and influencers rather than traditional news organizations. Short-form platforms also tend to present information in a less polished and more conversational format than television news.
Amazon does not operate a major social network of its own, so Prime Video gives the company an existing destination where it can test whether shorter news formats can attract some of those viewing habits.
Streaming Services Continue Adding Short Video
Prime Video is not the first major streaming service to add shorter content. Peacock introduced short-form video features in March, while HBO Max and Netflix added their own versions in July.
Disney+ followed in August with a feed incorporating content from TikTok creators. Those additions have increasingly placed short clips alongside the longer films, series and live programming traditionally associated with subscription streaming services.
The services are taking different approaches to the format. Some are using short video to promote entertainment programming, while Amazon is extending it directly into news and making the content available without requiring a Prime membership.
Amazon has not disclosed how long individual news clips will typically run or when the mobile and web versions will become available.
Featured image credits: Thibault Penin via Unsplash
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