- Market leader in Germany: with a JustWatch market share of 26%, Amazon Prime Video is the most used streaming service in Germany, and present in almost 50% of all German households (JustWatch Q4 2025 / Kantar).
- Two subscription models: 8.99 EUR/month with advertising or 11.98 EUR/month without. Advertising has been the standard since February 2024, the ad-free experience costs a 2.99 EUR surcharge.
- Advertising at premium level: Amazon Prime Video combines TV reach with precise first-party targeting across more than 2,800 audience segments, and brings new interactive and shoppable ad formats to Germany in 2025 (Amazon Ads 2025).
- More than a streaming service: Prime Video is embedded in the Amazon ecosystem, from shopping data to Prime shipping benefits, and links advertising directly to measurable purchase behavior.
What is Amazon Prime Video?
Amazon Prime Video is the streaming service of the US technology and retail group Amazon. Launched in 2006 as a pure video-on-demand service for US customers, Prime Video is today available in more than 240 countries and territories and is one of the most used streaming offerings worldwide.
Unlike Netflix or Disney+, Prime Video is not a standalone streaming subscription but part of the Amazon Prime membership, an all-round package that, in addition to streaming, also includes free shipping, music streaming (Amazon Music), cloud storage (Amazon Photos), exclusive shopping deals and more. In Germany, members pay 8.99 EUR per month or 89.90 EUR per year for the full Prime membership including Prime Video.
On which devices does Prime Video run?
Amazon Prime Video is available on almost all common devices:
- Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony, Philips and others), directly as an integrated app
- Amazon Fire TV Stick / Fire TV Cube, Amazon's own hardware
- Apple TV (from the 4th generation)
- Games consoles (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series)
- Smartphones and tablets (iOS and Android)
- Browser (PC and Mac via primevideo.com)
- Chromecast and other streaming sticks
The Smart TV is thus the primary device for Prime Video, matching the market trend that 67% of total SVoD usage time in Germany takes place on the TV screen (SevenOne Media, Media Activity Guide 2025). With the Fire TV Stick, Amazon also offers its own hardware line, which brings Prime Video and the entire Amazon ecosystem directly into any HDMI port.
Market position: number one in Germany
Amazon Prime Video is the leading streaming provider in Germany. According to the JustWatch Streaming Charts (Q4 2025), Prime Video holds a market share of 26%, narrowly ahead of Netflix with 25%. Measured by user base, 49.5% of all German households are reachable via a Prime membership.
Brand recognition stands at 94%. Almost every German knows the service. Among VoD payers, 73% actively use Prime Video, compared with 69% for Netflix (Kantar). As a central growth driver for new subscriptions, Amazon is also leading: 45.5% of all newly signed SVoD subscriptions in Germany go to Prime (Kantar).
A key advantage of Prime Video over pure streaming services: entry often happens via the Amazon shopping account. 43% of new sign-ups use trial versions, a proven acquisition channel that embeds Prime seamlessly into existing Amazon customer relationships.
Content: originals, channels and sport
Prime Video relies on a broad content portfolio of three pillars:
Originals (Amazon Originals): high-quality series such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, Jack Ryan or the cult series The Boys are available exclusively on Prime Video. These big-budget productions are central to customer loyalty and to the positioning as a premium provider.
Amazon Channels: via Prime Video, users can book additional streaming services directly and manage them in one interface, including Paramount+, Starzplay, MGM+ or Mubi. Amazon thus acts as a platform aggregator and binds users more deeply to the ecosystem.
Sport: sports rights are a central differentiator for Amazon. In Germany, Prime Video broadcasts matches of the UEFA Champions League exclusively, as well as selected Bundesliga games. Sports streaming drives new sign-ups and keeps existing subscribers in the system, even though the ad-free option does not apply to live events.
Pricing model: subscription with and without advertising
Since February 2024, Prime Video contains advertising by default. The pricing model in Germany is as follows:
The surcharge for the ad-free experience is 2.99 EUR per month. Amazon promises to "show significantly less advertising than traditional television channels and other video streaming providers." Live events, including Champions League matches, remain excluded from the ad-free option.
For students, Amazon offers Prime Student with a six-month free trial period, followed by a 50% discount on the regular membership.
Advertising on Amazon Prime Video: reach meets relevance
Reach in Germany
Amazon Prime Video reaches over 17 million households in Germany and Austria combined as an ad-financed audience (Amazon Ads 2025). That corresponds to coverage of almost 50% of all German TV households, a reach comparable to classic linear programs, but which can be delivered with far higher targeting accuracy.
Targeting: first-party data as a unique selling point
The decisive distinguishing feature of Prime Video over other CTV platforms is Amazon's first-party data from the shopping ecosystem. Across more than 2,800 audience segments, from purchase interests to product categories to geographic units at postcode level (5,000 postcodes in Germany), campaigns can be targeted with high precision. Advertisers thereby reach not only broad household reach, but demonstrably purchase-intending audiences.
Important: you do not have to sell products on Amazon to benefit from these advertising options. The data is available to all advertisers.
Conclusion: Prime Video as a full-funnel advertising channel
Amazon Prime Video is more than a streaming service. It is an integrated media and commerce platform. With a market share of 26% in Germany, a household reach of almost 50% and an ad-financed audience of over 17 million households in Germany and Austria, Prime Video is the largest single CTV advertising channel in the German market. The combination of TV reach, shopping-based first-party targeting and increasingly interactive formats makes the platform an indispensable building block in the modern moving-image mix, and it will become even more so with every further percentage point of market share.