Amazon offers offline viewing

Amazon is offering members of its Prime streaming service the option to download TV series and films for offline viewing, a feature its rival Netflix has previously ruled out offering.

Downton Abbey is among the
downloadable shows

The e-commerce giant’s subscription VoD service is the first to offer a download option on Android and iOS devices. TV series to be made available offline will include 24, Downton Abbey, Hannibal and Vikings, while movies will include The Wolf of Wall Street.

Amazon said it would not make any additional charge for the service, with Prime remaining at £79 (US$120) a year.

The offline option will be available in the US, UK, Germany and Austria. However, licensing restrictions will mean some content will be available only for streaming.

Those who own Amazon’s Fire tablet and are already signed up to the Prime service have been able to download movies and TV series for months.

Netflix last year said it would never add offline playback but it’s hard to see the Californian firm not offering some download feature down the line.

The Amazon news comes as Netflix yesterday revealed it had cut thousands of movies from its US streaming service after deciding not to renew a deal with distributor Epix.