Prime Sampling is a program designed to attract new subscribers and engage existing customers by making select content available to Prime customers in front of a channel paywall for a limited time. Customers are able to access full TV seasons or movies for one month at a time, incentivizing them to subscribe to watch additional content behind the paywall.
Participating in Prime Sampling helps you:
- Increase impressions across Prime Video.
- Drive trial and conversion for your channel.
- Engage both new and existing customers.
Key differences between Prime Sampling, FVOD, and SVOD
Prime Sampling differs from Free Video on Demand (FVOD) and Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) in several ways, described in the following table.
Feature |
Prime Sampling |
FVOD |
SVOD Licensing Deals |
|---|---|---|---|
Access |
Available to Prime members |
Available to Amazon customers |
Available to Amazon customers |
Content scope |
Full season (TV) or full-length movie |
Typically first episode free |
Multiple seasons or entire series |
Duration |
1 month |
Varies |
As licensed |
Setup |
Requires formal intake and approval |
Self-service via title avails |
Based on partner licensing agreements |
Important: Partners must not submit the same title for both Prime Sampling and FVOD or SVOD in the same window. This causes system errors and negatively impacts customer experience and performance.
Common pitfalls to avoid
To maintain the integrity of the program and prevent errors in merchandising and carousel placement, please avoid the following:
- Dual participation conflicts:
- Do not submit a title to both FVOD and Prime Sampling or SVOD and Prime Sampling in the same availability window. Doing so can result in the title being excluded from the carousel, and provides customers with excessive free content without driving subscriptions.
- Over-availing through SVOD:
- If multiple seasons of a title are already available through SVOD licensing, that title should not be submitted for Prime Sampling. Sampling is designed to promote a single season. Additional free access undercuts the value proposition and significantly reduces performance.
- For a title to be eligible for consideration:
- Only one season of a title may be sampled at a time.
- The season must be available for the full month.
Titles that don’t meet these criteria will not be considered for marketing support.
Get started with Prime Sampling
To participate in the Prime Sampling program:
- Notify your Partnerships Manager (PSM) that you want to participate.
- Complete the standard Sampling agreement.
Once onboarded, you will receive monthly outreach emails requesting title submissions. - Respond by the deadline with titles you’d like to feature and any required metadata or creative assets.
