Prime

Breaking News: MrBeast and Prime Video Team Up for Epic Game Show of the Century!

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The biggest content creator on YouTube, MrBeast announced on Monday that he’s filming a game show for Amazon’s Prime Video. On X, he wrote: “Big news gamers I’m going to be filming the largest game show in history and releasing it on Prime Video! Over 1,000 contestants, $5,000,000 prize, and many other world records.”Big news gamers I’m going to be filming the largest game show in history and releasing it on Prime Video! Prime Video has leveraged big name creators to develop new shows in the past. “It’s going to be the largest game show in history, with the most contestants any game show has ever had, with the largest cash prize in history,” MrBeast said in an interview with YouTubers Colin and Samir.

Target’s Amazon Prime Competitor: $49/Year Launch Announcement

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During Target’s investor event on Tuesday, the retail giant announced it is launching a paid membership program, Target Circle 360, on April 7 to compete with rivals Amazon and Walmart. Target Circle 360 acts as the paid version of its free loyalty program Target Circle, which has existed since 2019. Additionally, it’s renaming Target RedCard credit and debit cards to Target Circle, which will now give customers an extra 5% off purchases. However, if you have a Target Circle credit card, it will still cost $49. Walmart also sees success from its paid membership, Walmart+, which debuted in 2020 for $98/year.

Amazon Announces Additional Job Cuts in Buy with Prime Division

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As Amazon initiates job cuts across its entire business, including its streaming division, the e-commerce giant is now laying off employees within its Buy with Prime segment. Launched in 2022, Buy with Prime is a service that enables third-party merchants to offer Prime benefits like free shipping and returns. Buy with Prime expanded its availability in early 2023, adding more U.S. brands like BigCommerce and Sustainable Glam. “Buy with Prime is a top priority for Amazon, with strong adoption from merchants and positive feedback from customers, and we will continue investing significant resources in Buy with Prime to build on that momentum. Earlier this month, Amazon laid off 500 Twitch workers and hundreds of employees at Prime Video and MGM Studios.

Amazon Prime Video to End Local Originals Support in Africa and Middle East

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Amazon Prime Video is said to be downsizing its Africa and Middle East operations in a move that will affect teams in the two regions; according to a Variety report, the company will instead focus on European originals. Following the changes, Prime Video will stop contracting originals in Africa and Middle East markets. It’s interesting to note that Amazon Prime Video entered the African market in 2016 as part of its global expansion to over 200 countries, presenting substantial competition to Netflix’s simultaneous global launch. As the third-largest video streaming platform in Africa, Amazon Prime Video aimed to strengthen its subscriber base in emerging markets by launching localized plans. The strategy included increased investment in local production, unveiling slates of localized originals, and offering discounted Amazon Prime memberships to customers.

Audible, Owned by Amazon, Cuts 5% of Their Workforce

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Audible, the Amazon-owned audiobook company, is laying off 5% of its staff, according to a leaked memo obtained by Business Insider. Per the memo, Audible CEO Bob Carrigan praised staff for a strong 2023 and assured them that the business was in good shape… but, due to the “increasingly challenging landscape,” the company is still making cuts. Now, just this week, Twitch laid off another 500 employees, and Amazon’s MGM Studios and Prime Video let go of “several hundred” employees. Prime Video aside, all of these organizations at Amazon — Twitch, MGM Studios and Audible — came to the company via acquisition. Audible has been part of Amazon since 2008, when it was acquired for $300 million.