Amazon has closed the Prime TV channel, 15 months after it originally launched in Germany and Austria. The company did not provide any reason in an announcement on its German web site. It simply said that the Amazon Prime TV channel would be discontinued from 1 August. The programmes will remain available on demand. Amazon noted that live programming of ARD, ZDF and regional channels, as well as more than 500 other online channels, would continue.

Amazon announced in February 2025 that it would launch a linear Prime TV channel within Prime Video in Germany and Austria.
The channel launched on 17 April 2025 as a curated 24-hour showcase of Prime Video programming, including films, series and live sports such as Champions League and Wimbledon.

At the time it was described as a shop window for Prime Video programming, aimed particularly at viewers who were more comfortable with traditional television habits.

The channel also gave Prime a presence in traditional televisions lists guides.

The channel appeared as a new option under the Live TV section of Prime Video. The first programme was an episode of a new series of the comedy programme LOL: Last One Laughing.

Amazon promoted the monthly Prime Video highlights around the same period, emphasising films, series and sport rather than making the linear channel itself the headline.

Commentators noted the irony that Netflix and others had spent years teaching audiences to leave schedules behind, while Amazon was deliberately recreating a schedule.

Yet there is more to a television channel than a schedule of programmes, as broadcasters understand, and perhaps Amazon has yet to learn.

There appears to be little published evidence about audience reach, viewing time, or advertising performance.

The closure of the channel may tell its own story.

www.amazon.com

Programming from broadcasters accounts for the majority of video watched in homes in the United Kingdom, but only just. If trends continue it will represent less than half of viewing next year. That includes the online video services of broadcasters, which still account for less than a fifth of all viewing of broadcaster programming.

The annual Media Nations report from the communications regulator Ofcom provides a perspective on media usage across the nations and regions of the United Kingdom.

Based on projections from informitv, broadcaster programming will make up less than half of all in home viewing in 2027.

Among all individuals across the United Kingdom aged four years or above, 53% of the total of 4 hours and 23 minutes of video viewing in the home across all devices in 2025 was to broadcaster programming. 90 minutes of that was still to television at the time of transmission, with a further 20 minutes of recorded playback, and 28 minutes to online programming from broadcasters.

The number of minutes viewing television at the time of broadcast fell by 12 minutes a day from 2024 to 2025. Recorded playback fell by 2 minutes. That is nearly a quarter an hour a day less viewing of broadcast television. The viewing of online video from broadcasters rose by only 3 minutes over the same period.

The inevitable conclusion is that broadcasters are not gaining online viewing at the same rate as they are losing traditional viewing.

The average amount of all measured video viewing in the home fell by 7 minutes between 2024 and 2025, so it is not simply that viewers are substituting other online video services for traditional television programming.

Assuming that average video viewing remains steady, but the share of broadcaster viewing continues to fall at the same rate, it will represent less than half of all viewing by the time of the next annual report.

Average daily video viewing fell by two minutes from 2022 to 2205, although among those aged over 75 it rose by 33 minutes.

Across every age group, viewing of broadcast television at the time of transmission fell over the period, down by 30 minutes a day across the population. It is down by over 50 minutes a day for those aged 45-65, and by 47 minutes a day by those aged 65-74, with even those aged 75 or above watching 10 minutes a day less.

Although online video from broadcasters, like the BBC iPlayer, saw increases across all age groups, it did not compensate for their loss of traditional viewing.

Among those aged 16-24, who have always been the lightest viewers of television, broadcaster online video viewing only increased by 4 minutes a day to an average of 14 minutes a day.

The biggest increase in broadcaster online video viewing came not from younger audiences but by those with more availability to view.

The greatest growth came from those aged over 75, who watched almost none in 2022 but are now watching an average of over 25 minutes a day. They also watch by far the most broadcaster programming, a total of 5 hours and 45 minutes a day.

The biggest viewers of broadcaster online video are those aged 55-74, watching an average of about 40 minutes a day.

By contrast, those aged 16-24 watch the least video of all, and only view an average of just over half an hour a day of broadcaster programming, of which less than half is on demand.

For those aged 25-34, viewing television at the time of transmission is down by 26 minutes day since 2022, to an average of just 18 minutes a day, with a. further 9 minutes recorded, and 25 minutes of broadcaster online video viewing. So even this group watches more broadcast television by traditional means than through broadcaster online video services, which added just 6 minutes a day over the three-year period.

Broadcasters might assume that viewing is shifting to video sharing platforms like YouTube. Indeed, these platforms account for an increasing share of all video viewing in the home, with an average of 82 minutes a day for those aged 16-24, far more than any other source of viewing.

Interestingly, viewing of video sharing platforms actually declined in this group by 6 minutes a day over the three years. It is among those aged 25-34 that it has risen, by 16 minutes a day to an average of 68 minutes a day.

Across the population, viewing of YouTube and TikTok in the home in 2025 was higher than the BBC. YouTube alone accounts for 15% of all viewing, which the same as Netflix, Amazon, and Disney combined, and only just behind the BBC at 18%.

The BBC has been among the broadcasters arguing that terrestrial television transmissions should be turned off within eight years. They might want to be careful what they wish for.

Of all BBC viewing, nearly three quarters is still to traditional channels, watched at the time of transmission or through recorded playback. The vast majority of that is through cable, satellite or terrestrial television, with only a small proportion viewed online.

The share of BBC viewing that is on demand has risen from 14% to 26% from 2022 to 2025, but overall BBC viewing is down, in common with other broadcasters.

The latest Media Nations report is available from the Ofcom web site.

www.ofcom.org.uk

NBCUniversal and YouTube have announced a strategic partnership that will make Peacock Premium available as part of a bundle with YouTube Premium in the United States from early 2027. The agreement represents a significant shift in the Peacock distribution strategy, moving beyond direct consumer acquisition towards reaching subscribers through one of the largest digital subscription ecosystems in the world, while preserving Peacock as a standalone service.

The partnership between NBCUniversal and YouTube will combine Peacock Premium with YouTube Premium, giving subscribers access to both services through a single subscription relationship. It is described as a global partnership, although Peacock is currently only available in the United States.

The companies describe the agreement as a way to bring together live sports, films and television programming from Peacock with YouTube’s scale, user engagement and subscription platform.

NBCUniversal says the agreement will expand access to Peacock Premium among existing and future YouTube Premium subscribers in the United States. The companies have not disclosed pricing, packaging details or the exact launch date, beyond saying that the bundle will become available in early 2027.

The agreement also includes broader cooperation between the two companies. NBCUniversal and YouTube will expand the availability of NBCUniversal programming across YouTube platforms, including continued integration with YouTube TV, the online multi-channel subscription television service.

NBCUniversal describes this as Peacock’s “largest wholesale distribution partnership to date”. Peacock is effectively moving from direct-to-consumer acquisition towards distribution through a larger subscription ecosystem.

The move reflects a broader shift in streaming strategy. After years of competing to acquire subscribers directly, many streaming services are increasingly looking towards partnerships, bundles and platform distribution to improve reach and reduce customer acquisition costs.

Peacock is the online video service from NBCUniversal, offering a combination of entertainment, films, television series, live sports and news programming.

The service includes programming from across the NBCUniversal portfolio, including NBC broadcast programming, Universal Pictures films, original series, live sporting events and programming from brands such as Bravo. It is also the streaming home for major sports rights in the United States, including Premier League football, NFL games carried by NBC, and other live events.

Peacock Premium is the paid subscription tier. It provides access to the full Peacock catalogue, live programming and premium sports content. Peacock also offers advertising-supported subscription options.

It will remain available as a standalone streaming service. The partnership does not replace direct subscriptions but adds another route through which consumers can access Peacock Premium.

YouTube Premium is a subscription service, offering an adveritsng-free YouTube experience, access to YouTube Music, offline viewing and background playback features.

Unlike YouTube TV, which is a live television subscription service designed to replace traditional pay-TV packages, YouTube Premium is primarily focused on enhancing the core YouTube platform experience.

In announcing the agreement, Mary Ellen Coe, the Chief Business Officer of YouTube, said the partnership would bring together “the best of YouTube and Peacock” to create a broader entertainment offering for subscribers. The company presented the deal as part of its strategy to provide more value through YouTube Premium by adding complementary premium content services.

The partnership comes as major streaming companies reassess the economics of direct-to-consumer video. The initial streaming era was defined by companies building their own standalone platforms and competing for subscribers. Increasingly, services are looking for distribution partnerships that can provide scale while reducing the cost and difficulty of acquiring customers individually.

For NBCUniversal, the agreement provides Peacock with access to YouTube’s enormous subscriber base and strengthens its position alongside other major streaming platforms. For YouTube, the deal adds premium entertainment content to its subscription ecosystem, helping it to compete for consumer spending against broader streaming bundles.

NBCUniversal is the media and entertainment division of Comcast Corporation, one of the largest telecommunications and media companies in the world. Comcast acquired NBCUniversal in stages, beginning with a controlling stake in 2011 and full ownership in 2013.

NBCUniversal owns and operates major entertainment and media brands including NBC, Universal Pictures, Universal Studios, Bravo, Telemundo and Peacock. Its businesses span film production, broadcast television, cable networks, theme parks and streaming.

The company launched Peacock in 2020 as its primary streaming platform, initially focused on leveraging NBCUniversal’s extensive content library and live programming assets. Like many traditional media companies, NBCUniversal has since moved from a pure subscriber-growth strategy towards a more balanced approach combining direct subscriptions, advertising, licensing and distribution partnerships.

The YouTube agreement is significant not simply as another streaming bundle, but as an example of how established media companies are adapting their streaming businesses for a more mature market.

www.nbcuniversal.com
www.peacocktv.com
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