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    Amazon’s Prime Video is now available in more than 200 countries

    Challenging Netflix for global reach — but not content

    Amazon has officially launched its video-on-demand service Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. The retailer suggested it would be doing so earlier this year, but the launch is now official, with Prime Video available at an introductory price of $2.99 / €2.99 a month in numerous markets.

    This subscription rate is good for half a year, after which the price rises to $5.99 / €5.99 a month. The subscription is bundled in to Amazon Prime where available, and there’s also a free seven-day trial for those who want to test it out first. You see a full list of countries where Prime Video is available here.

    This means Amazon’s streaming service is now available in more countries than Netflix, which launched in 130 new markets earlier this year. In both cases, though, the big missing market is China — which keeps a tight control on its internet and of Western cultural imports. Nevertheless, Chinese citizens are known to be big fans of pirated shows including House of Cards and Sherlock.

    But while Amazon looks like it has the potential to reach more viewers, Netflix likely has the advantage in content. It’s not clear exactly which TV and films will be available in which countries, but Amazon says shows available around the world will include Mozart in the Jungle, Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, and The Grand Tour.

    The latter is undoubtedly Prime Videos’ biggest draw at the moment, with the motoring show (a reboot of the BBC’s Top Gear in all but name) attracting more illegal downloads than even Game of Thrones. Amazon will be hoping it can convert at least some of those pirates into good, honest, subscribers, but it’ll need more than just one show to make Prime Video a success in its own right.