Amazon Prime has been a hit but Amazon has kept the exact number of subscribers close to the chest. Now, a new letter to shareholders by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos puts an end to the mystery.
According to Bezos, Amazon Prime now has 100 million subscribers. According to the newsletter, Bezos said, “13 years post-launch, we have exceeded 100 million paid Prime members globally. In 2017 Amazon shipped more than five billion items with Prime worldwide, and more new members joined Prime than in any previous year – both worldwide and in the US.” Last year’s guesstimate was around 80 million.
Amazon hopes the success of Amazon Prime comes to Fire TV. The company has secured a deal with Best Buy to bring its Fire TV Edition Smart TVs to the beloved American retailer this summer. The upcoming Smart TVs will feature Amazon’s Alexa AI integration.
Earlier this year, Amazon eliminated lockscreen ads on its Prime Exclusive phones to give access to features such as iris and fingerprint scanners. Eliminating lockscreen ads removes Prime Exclusive phone discounts as well.
Amazon Prime offers free and fast shipping for subscribers. Members also receive discounts on books and other products. The service costs $99 in the US. The online retailer offers 30-day free trials for potential Prime customers.
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