Netflix has become the undisputed leader of subscription streaming with high-quality series and a much wider geographic availability than its direct rivals. However, it's time for a little competition, and the one about to make the global leap is none other than Amazon Video. Why? The launch of The Grand Tour, the new series starring the old Top Gear team, with Jeremy Clarkson at the helm.
Geographic Restrictions: The Anchor of Streaming
Geographic restrictions are the equivalent of an anchor. All streaming services crash their heads against the nearest wall because they prevent access to other regions, but without them they wouldn't have enough content to compete in a merciless market. For this reason Hulu is a player limited to the United States and Japan, YouTube Red is in a similar situation with the US, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, and Netflix must fragment its catalog depending on the agreements it signs. To this we must add that users are not idle, and they do everything possible to access content from other countries, whether by using proxies or VPN services. A way to cut the chain and leave the anchor behind is developing original series, something that Netflix is making the most of.
The Grand Tour: The Trio That Will Take on the World
If these three slightly crazy fellows seem familiar, it's because they are former members of the Top Gear series. The (sometimes) controversial but extremely popular Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will do a kind of trip around the world, visiting the most important cities in all sorts of vehicles. Of course, supercars and sports models will be at the center and front of The Grand Tour, but if we follow its trailer we will also see boats, helicopters, and even a tank. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos admitted at the time that the series will be “very, very, very expensive”, so Clarkson and his team represent a gigantic gamble.
Global Rollout and Subscription Details
To improve its chances with The Grand Tour, Amazon Video will expand to more than 200 countries during the month of December, which should put a little pressure on Netflix. The series debuts today in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, and Japan, but once its availability is synchronized, so to speak, all users of the service will receive a new episode every Friday. It is necessary to remember that to access Amazon Video we must purchase a subscription to Amazon Prime, and for the next few hours it will have a special price of $79 per year.
