Amazon eyes TV service

Online retail giant Amazon is planning to launch an ad-supported TV service in the coming months, according to reports.

Amazon is looking to stream original self-produced TV series and licensed programming for free to viewers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The US company may also offer free ad-supported music videos on its site, which would be a departure from its US$99-a-year Prime subscription service.

Amazon said yesterday it will hold a press conference in New York on April 2, suggesting the firm could unveil a streaming service to rival the Apple TV, Google Chromecast and Roku 3.

However, the newspaper said it was unclear how such a service would be delivered to customers. Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.

In related news, Amazon Prime Instant Video is set to premiere pirate drama Black Sails in the UK next month.

The Starz series will be available on the movie and TV streaming service from April 4.