CONNECTED VISION
Amazon Prime Video now profitable
Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy says that its Prime Video service is now profitable in its own right. The company says that with revenues in tens of billions of dollars it is a significant business. It is the first time that Amazon has attached a concrete revenue scale to the online video service.
“Prime Video has emerged as a significant business with a revenue run rate in the tens of billions of dollars, now profitable in its own right,” he told analysts on the company earnings call.
“We have momentum with hit shows like Carrie, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Boys, Off Campus, Reacher, and Fallout. Breakout movies like Project Hail Mary, along with compelling live sports, including Thursday Night Football, off to its best start ever in 2026, NBA on Prime, NASCAR, the Masters, and UEFA Champions League soccer.”

For the first nine months of 2026, content spending was up 20% to $18.8 billion.
The disclosure that Prime Video in its own despite this cost underscores that its incoming ad and subscription revenue is substantial.
For years, Amazon Prime Video was heavily seen as an expensive, loss-leading customer-retention tool. In 2026, that narrative officially shifted.
Amazon reported in May that the Prime Video service was profitable, but it did not attach any numbers to that.
Amazon earnings show $19.64 billion in advertising services in the third quarter of 2026. Subscription services accounted for $14.01 billion. That includes Prime membership fees as well as standalone digital video and music subscriptions.
Amazon acquired MGM for $8.5 billion in a deal that closed in 2022. In the first nine months of 2026 it passed $1.2 billion in global box office, driven by releases like Project Hail Mary.
Microsoft Copilot pulled from smart televisions
Support for Microsoft Copilot is ending on Samsung and LG smart televisions. It is not long since the introduction of the AI assistant on them resulted in some customer complaints that it could not be removed. Some users have been using artificial intelligence coding tools to remove unwanted apps and promotions from their home screens.
A notice has appeared on some LG televisions advising of the termination of the Microsoft Copilot service.
“We would like to inform you that Microsoft has recently decided to end support for Copilot functionality on all TVs, including the Copilot-enabled feature available on our LG TVs,” the notification says. “As a result, the Copilot-enabled feature on your TV is no longer available and may stop functioning shortly.”
Microsoft has confirmed that Copilot is being retired from televisions and will no longer be available on Samsung and LG televisions from 1 December 2026. It will remain available on web, desktop, and mobile platforms.
It is part of a wider update of the Copilot service, which Microsoft ways will create a simpler, more cohesive experience across personal, work, and school accounts.
Microsoft Copilot was built into 2025 televisions and smart monitors from Samsung. It was described as a smart companion that is ready whenever you need it, able to answer questions about what you are watching, provide personal recommendations, check quick facts, or explore new topics in an easy, conversational way.
LG also announced integration with Copilot on 2025 models and rolled it out through an update to its webOS platform less than a year ago which added shortcuts to home screens.

Ironically, some users are now turning to artificial intelligence coding tools to uninstall uninvited apps and promotions that are proliferating on television home screens. They are posting pictures online of screens that they say they have cleaned up to remove unwanted applications.
Although this is relatively easy on some smart television platforms, it seems that those from Samsung and LG are harder to manage in this way.
Some consumers are increasingly concerned that smart televisions are monitoring their viewing and monetising their attention to television and video services.
While artificial intelligence and conversational interfaces can offer benefits to users through search and recommendation services, the privacy policies of smart television platforms can be opaque to consumers, leaving concern about what data about their viewing behaviour and preferences they are sharing with third parties.
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Channel 4 on Disney+
Channel 4 and The Walt Disney Company have agreed a deal that will bring Channel 4 programming to Disney+ in the UK and Ireland from early 2027. While British broadcasters have previously co-produced or licensed programmes for distribution on online video platforms, this is described as a first-of-its kind collaboration.
Disney+ customers will be able to watch the Channel 4 HD service on Disney+ through a specially branded section, together with hundreds of hours of programming through its on-demand catalogue.
The agreement includes multiple Channel 4 shows being made available on-demand each year on Disney+, at the same time as their release on Channel 4.
Building on their long-standing relationship, this deal will see Disney integrating Channel 4 programming on Disney+, extending reach for the public service broadcaster and bringing more choice to Disney+ customers.
According to Barb estimates, 8.9 million homes in the United Kingdom, just under 30%, have access to Disney+. 40% of them are on its advertising supported tier.
43% of Disney+ users are aged 18-34, a key target demographic for Channel 4, which has a third of its online audience in this age group.
Priya Dogra, the recently appointed chief executive of Channel 4, said: “This new service will help those shows reach viewers in new places. This exciting step shows how collaboration between broadcasters and streamers can create more choice and value for audiences.”
Adam Smith, the chairman of direct to consumer at Disney Entertainment, who was previously with YouTube, said: “Local broadcaster partnerships are very important as we build our content libraries and serve fans around the world.” He described it as “the latest example of our global strategy, pairing high-quality local programming and cultural relevance with a complementary audience and more personalised streaming experience on Disney+.”
Financial details of the deal, if any, were not disclosed.
The distribution deal has some similarities with the earlier agreement between TFI in France and Netflix.
Disney has also struck similar deals with ZDF in Germany and Atresmedia in Spain.
It is another sign that broadcasters may be more willing to see their programming appear on competing online video services after years of promoting their own online platforms.
The Channel 4 chief executive had previously talked about making Channel 4 programming available on the BBC iPlayer, indicating she was open to collaboration, but saying that any merger would amount to a takeover by the BBC.