Prime Video trails leaders in US television viewing time
Prime Video drew roughly 4.2% of US television viewing time in recent figures cited by Reuters, well behind YouTube at about 13.4%, Netflix at close to 7.8%, and Disney+. The platform still claims more than 200 million monthly viewers globally, a gap between reach and time share that has emerged as a focal point for Amazon's streaming leadership as it pushes an AI-led redesign of the service.
Prime Video among engagement gainers in Luminate midyear report
Luminate's 2026 Midyear Report placed Netflix in the lead for original content viewing, with 57% of US original viewing time among major subscription streaming platforms, though its share slipped year over year. Prime Video and HBO Max posted the strongest gains in audience engagement. Library programming remained the primary driver of streaming consumption, with major US platforms offering nearly 19,000 library titles against approximately 7,000 original productions, and consumers estimating nearly 60% of their at-home viewing time is spent on content more than one year old.
Production volumes contract as streaming matures
Luminate's midyear data shows overall production volumes continuing to contract. The number of US-produced television premieres fell 15% year over year, while SVOD series declined 12%. Total US television premieres dropped to 517 in the first half of 2026, compared with 930 during the same period in 2022, reflecting the broader slowdown in scripted production following the recent content expansion peak.
Broadcast series reshape streaming viewership rankings
HBO Max's medical drama "The Pitt" emerged as the most-watched original SVOD series of the year, but Luminate's expanded measurement, which now includes current broadcast originals available on streaming platforms, pushed two CBS dramas above it. "Marshals" and "Tracker" both generated higher total minutes viewed than the second season of "The Pitt." The shift reflects how broadcast series, particularly CBS dramas, are reshaping the streaming viewership picture as audience measurement broadens.
Bezos-led AI redesign could shift home-screen economics
Amazon's executive chairman Jeff Bezos is pushing an AI-first Prime Video redesign known internally as Lighthouse, intended to turn the streaming service into a showcase for Amazon's AI investment. The project would rebuild the home screen around machine-generated recommendations rather than a fixed grid, with features under development including AI-generated thumbnails, pre-filled browsing prompts such as "1980s action films" and "Christmas rom-coms," and Alexa-powered voice search. The redesign could trim fixed premium placement slots in favour of algorithmic ranking, a change that studios paying for guaranteed visibility are likely to push back on. Amazon has committed roughly $200 billion to capital expenditures this year, primarily for AI, and has invested an initial $23 billion in OpenAI and Anthropic combined with potential for another $40 billion.
Luna gaming folds into Prime Video app
Amazon has begun integrating its Luna cloud gaming platform directly into the Prime Video app via a new Games tab, initially for Prime subscribers on Fire TV in the United States and United Kingdom. The move targets an awareness problem for Luna, which is included with Prime memberships but used by only a small fraction of the more than 200 million Prime members worldwide. Luna general manager Jeff Gattis said the end state is to make Luna available wherever Prime Video is, with plans to roll out to more countries and devices over time.
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