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Originally Posted by OLD BOY
Well, what if, as an example, Virgin had a deal with Amazon whereby those with the existing subscriptions offers would be able to access Prime through their Virgin Media boxes and new subscribers through Virgin were offered a lower rate, but without the 'perks' and without the Amazon channels? Just one idea, but I think that with the range of streaming services Virgin could offer, together with the existing packages that are available for now, this could be made to work.
I do not share your distopian views of the future!
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The problem here is not what could be done, but whether the vendors consider it to be in their interests. Just because you can describe a package, doesn’t mean Amazon would want to do it.
Amazon’s strategy is bundling as many services as possible into Prime membership in order to build a loyal customer base. As a Prime member, you only have to have a mild grumble at them in the event of a late delivery in order to get another month’s free membership. They sell their smaller tablets almost at a loss because it gives them another way of showcasing their services to potential new subscribers. That’s how badly they want Prime members to stay Prime members.
So yes, they absolutely could make a carriage deal with Virgin Media. But are they going to? No, they are not. It would undermine a strategy they have thrown many millions of dollars at. Ultimately, OB, these things are determined by cold, hard business considerations, not the utopian dreams of a couch potato.
