Hwei Loke, Amazon’s new head of Prime Video for Australia and New Zealand, has issued a shot across the bows of the country’s traditional TV network about her plans to grow the offering in Australia.
“We’re here to be a big player,” she told B&T.
“Prime Video’s proposition as an entertainment hub is unique and makes us so incredibly special in this industry.”
That proposition, according to Loke, brings together Prime Video’s expansive scripted and unscripted content slate, plus a growing focus on sporting content and a series of discretionary add-ons, including BritBox, Paramount+ and Hayu as well as rentable movies.
“That makes us different to audiences. We’re a one-stop entertainment shop. That’s exactly what we’re presenting at Primeville, too, that we’re the entertainment hub that takes the stress out of streaming for consumers.”
Ostensibly, that message connects very well with viewers. At Telsyte’s last count, Prime Video had 4.8 million members in Australia—17 per cent of the population. Currently, Netflix is its only larger rival, controlling just under 23 per cent of the population. But Prime Video is growing nearly four times as fast as Netflix.
In Loke’s assessment, that message connects very well with agency folk, too.
“They see us as a holistic destination versus just an SVOD product. We offer something different to consumers and therefore we offer something different to agency partners,” she explained.
Prime Video is certainly becoming more bullish in its stance and overtures to the market. It told us that it offers the “widest selection” of popular and exclusive productions. At SXSW Sydney, Prime Video rolled out its biggest stars, giving punters and press the chance to catch a glimpse of its stars including the likes of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s Whitney Rose and Heather Gay, Captain Jason Chambers from Below Deck Down Under and Felicity Ward, Josh Thomson, Jonny Brugh and Zoe Terakes from the Australian reboot of The Office—heady stuff indeed. Cricketers Meg Lanning and Pat Cummins were also present.
At the same time, however, Loke said that consumers are feeling “overwhelmed” by the amount of content available to them across linear, BVOD, SVOD and digital video platforms.
“It is a matter of all the choices and consumer uncertainty about where to find that content. You might know the movies, shows or live sport coming out, but at the moment, it’s all a bit fragmented. Nobody knows where to go. Coming back to us as an entertainment hub, that’s the beauty of what we’re trying to solve for a consumer,” she said.
“We saw an opportunity here where consumers are fragmented, they’re overwhelmed. How do we solve that for them? How do we present them with an opportunity for one platform that has everything and is the go-to destination.”
To the layperson, it may sound contradictory for Loke to talk about consumers feeling “overwhelmed” by the amount of content available on one hand whilst also talking up the breadth of Prime Video’s expanding content slate. According to her, the key is in helping audiences find the content that is right for them, rather than simply presenting them with all manner of shows.
“We recently underwent a total refresh of our UX, which made everything much easier to find. When you head onto the Prime Video app, if you’re subscribed to Paramount or Hayu, it all appears in one interface. You don’t have to toggle between services. That’s what makes our customer obsession stand out so much. People still want the breadth of content. They don’t want less content, they just an easier way to find,” she said.
Audiences are also deeply passionate about locally produced content, according to Loke. Local content is a politically charged topic, of course. Earlier this year, Screen Producers Australia together with its counterparts from Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada claimed that digital platforms have a cultural responsibility to make “fair and proportional contributions” to the creation of local content in markets where those platforms generate revenue. In July, the government nearly doubled Australia’s Location Offset from 16.5 per cent to 30 per cent.
While that may seem a boon for local producers, Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner, said the situation is more complex.
“Without a counterbalance in local works and robust commissioning, the changes that passed Parliament last week will mean that the Australian screen sector is on track to develop more as a service provider for Hollywood productions, who are encouraged here to take advantage of generous rebates, rather than grow our own local storytelling capabilities. Available data tells the same story,” he said at the time.
“Right now, Australian audiences are finding it harder and harder to find their culture and heritage on screens. The balance of Government interventions in our industry should always lean towards Australians telling and producing Australian stories.”
Loke echoed Deaner’s sentiments about producing content that tells Australian stories—and reflects Australia’s diversity.
“Consumers want compelling, diverse stories that reflect them,” she explained.
“When I grew up, it was very rare to see anyone who looked like me on screen. Lee Lin Chin was the only Asian woman on screen at that time. To have content that reflects our diverse population, our diverse stories is incredibly important and we’re seeing people respond to that, whether it’s getting a look behind the scenes at the Australian cricket team with The Test or a story of Tasmanian crime noir with Deadloch or intrinsically Australian comedy, they’re responding and emotionally connected.”
When it comes to shows such as the Australian revamp of The Office, Below Deck Down Under or The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, all spin-offs of existing shows, Loke said that audiences remained “extremely passionate” about these existing franchises but these shows now had their own Australian spin.
“You’ll find that our version of The Office feels familiar in a way. You can see the same situational comedy that you have in the original UK or US series. You have the same archetypes of the boss or the love duo. But we have this fresh take on it with Australian humour and situations. We have an episode on the Melbourne Cup and we have a new Australian female boss—which is definitely relatable for me, although I’m not taking all my leadership advice from Hannah Howard!”
As the TV market continues to evolve, consumers will have to make more choices and navigate an increasingly complex selection of players and deals. For instance, Hubbl unveiled a Netflix and Kayo Sports bundle for $25 per month just last night. Will Amazon Prime Video’s wide-ranging content offering be the ace up its sleeve in the streaming wars? We’ll have to wait and see.
