有线电视市场：亚马逊来了！

亚马逊为了竞争有线电视的份额，绑定视频频道如Showtime，Starz等公司的节目，制定了高级会员套餐并收取格外的一些费用

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

vying竞赛的

bundle打包

ecommerce电子商务

lessen减少

air广播

footprint足迹

Amazon adds Showtime and Starz to bundle （442 words）

By Shannon Bond in New York

Amazon is vying to win over cable television “cord-cutters” by bundling subscription video channels from Showtime, Starz and other networks with its Prime membership programme for an additional fee.

The move allows the ecommerce group to broaden its offering of video content without having to pay higher licensing fees, and gives partners access to Amazon's distribution and billing infrastructure and a streaming-friendly audience that could help lessen their dependence on pay-TV providers.

As media companies, technology groups and cable and satellite operators introduce competing streaming packages, executives and analysts have begun to question how many services people will pay for. Amazon's bundling points to a possible solution by letting customers manage and pay for several services in one place.

“The way people watch TV is changing, and customers need an easier way to subscribe to and enjoy multiple streaming subscriptions,” said Michael Paull, Amazon's vice-president of digital video.

David Nevins, president of Showtime, the CBS-owned premium cable channel that airs Homeland, said: “By marrying Showtime with the powerhouse retail capabilities of Amazon, we continue to greatly expand our footprint, making sure our service is available to new subscribers whenever and however they want to watch us.”

Like Netflix, the biggest force in streaming video, and Hulu, the US service owned by Walt Disney, 21st Century Fox and Comcast, Amazon has been ploughing money into video programming. It has increased spending both on shows and movies licensed from media owners such as HBO and CBS and its own original programming, such as the Emmy-award winning series Transparent. It will spend $1.7bn on content this year compared with $500m in 2012, RBC Capital Markets estimates.

Amazon does not disclose the number of subscribers to its $99 a year Prime service, which includes on-demand video, music and free shipping, but Macquarie analysts estimate it has about 40m worldwide. Netflix has 43m US members and 69m in total around the world.

Prime members will be able to subscribe to Showtime for $8.99 a month — $2 less than Showtime charges for its standalone online offering. Hulu has also struck a deal to offer Showtime to its subscribers at the same discounted price.

The inclusion of Starz, a premium cable channel that was spun out of John Malone's Liberty Media in 2013, marks the first time the network has been offered online without a pay-TV subscription in the US. This year Starz launched online subscriptions in the Middle East.

Other channels available to prime members for an extra fee include AMC's SundanceNow documentary film service and Shudder horror film offering, A&E's Lifetime Movie Club, and streaming video from online-only providers including DramaFever, Defy Media and BroadbandTV.

请根据你所读到的文章内容，完成以下自测题目：

1.Emmy-award is whose programming？

A.Amazon

B.HBO

C.CBS

D.Netflix

答案(1)

2.How many Prime service subscribers Amazon has worldwide estimated by Macquarie analysts？

A.30m

B.43m

C.40m

D.69m

答案(2)

3.Who launched online subscriptions in Middle East in 2013？

A.Amazon

B.Showtime

C.Comcast

D.Starz

答案(3)

4.What advantage does Showtime enjoy when they cooperate with Amazon？

A.Reduce operational cost

B.Support from government

C.Expand their footprint

D.Retain their old subscribers

答案(4)

* * *

(1)答案：A.Amazon

解释：Amazon加大了在视频节目方面的投资，包括它自己旗下的Emmy-award。

(2)答案：C.40m

解释：Macquarie analysts估计，Amazon全球范围的高级服务订阅户为400万人。

(3)答案：D.Starz

解释：2013年，Starz在中东推出了在线订阅。

(4)答案：C.Expand their footprint

解释：David Nevins说，亚马逊强大的零售能力使得Showtime可以继续扩展他们的足迹。