Prime Video: Hwei Loke shares how Australians can get the most out of online streaming
It’s no secret finding the perfect online streaming service has become more of a chore than trawling through the titles on a visit to Blockbuster – with one competitor stepping in to combat the ‘content chaos’. FIND OUT MORE.
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It’s no secret that finding the perfect online streaming service has become more of a chore than trawling through the titles on a visit to Blockbuster ever was.
Looking to cut through the “content chaos” this week, Prime Video once again returned to South by Southwest Sydney (SXSW), this time to celebrate its Entertainment Hub offering.
Prime Video helps Australians customise their streaming experience by offering the widest selection of popular and exclusive productions, add-on subscriptions and rent or buy new release titles, all in one place with the convenience of one app and one password.
The Primeville Sweet Spot event – which brought together a number of stars and streaming partners into one event – gave consumers a taste of the goodies to be found on the Hub.
Head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand, Hwei Loke, said it was exciting to bring to life the Hub as an interactive experience for consumers through the Sweet Spot.
At the event, consumers can move through the worlds of different programs and shows offered through Prime Video and partners such as Paramount Plus and Hayu, to collect candy treats which represented the curation of the Hub’s sweet entertainment offering.
“SXSW is such a perfect spot to bring this to life, because it is all about innovation and creativity, and that is what is special about the Entertainment Hub,” Ms Loke said.
Ms Loke, who took on the Head of Prime Video role in September, said in the sea of “content chaos”, Prime Video aimed to be the premier location for the best content – no matter the genre.
“It’s an amazing time to be a consumer because of the amount you have to watch and consume; but it’s fragmented. People are like, where can I find content, is it here on this platform? Do I rent it, do I subscribe to it?,” she said.
“Our objective with the Entertainment Hub is to bring it into one seamless place. You can come on, consume anything you want with Prime Video; movies, documentaries, live sports, but then you can also add on subscriptions to other platforms Like Paramount Plus, Hayu, beIN, Britbox – and it’s all seamlessly integrated into one platform interface.
“So you don’t even have to toggle between different subscriptions to get the content you want. You can also rent or buy new release blockbusters that are still in the cinemas.”
She said Australian audiences were hungry for stories that mirrored their unique and diverse perspectives and upbringings, and this was reflected in several exciting upcoming titles including the continuation of Top End Wedding, the Top End Bub series.
“I grew up in Australia where there was nobody that looked like me on TV, and I’m incredibly proud to have, now an Australian slate that is inclusive of diverse stories and diverse reflection of our audience,” she said.
“We recently had Five Blind Dates on the platform, which was a completely Asian-cast romantic comedy – and that is just something you wouldn’t have seen previously which is what audience are really responding to.”
Top End Bub is set to be released in June 2025 and once again brought film crews to the Territory – and they weren’t the only ones shooting in the Top End.
The second season of Deadloch was also partially shot in the Territory.
Ms Loke said those titles, among others such as The Narrow Road to the Deep North (2024) could also compete in the global market.
“They (Australian audiences are) really interested in diverse storytelling,” she said.
“They want compelling entertainment that reflects that, speaks to them, and I think as well as complementing our incredible set of global originals like Fallout, The Boys – what we also have are stories that reflect them – that’s important.”
Ms Loke said Prime Video was getting recognition on a global scale for their Australian productions – with The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart their number one local original on a global scale, and Deadloch also receiving international coverage.
On the platform, sports lovers will be treated to more cricket next year, with the championship trophy in February and world test final in June – and the start of the NBA at the end of 2025 year – following the signing of an 11-year partnership between Prime and the organisation.
Primeville Sweet Spot is free for all ages, and is running through to Sunday 20 October.
It is located at Fratelli Fresh Darling Harbour, Sydney, with express entry for SXSW Sydney badge holders.
Prime Video is available in Australia at no extra cost to a Prime membership.
New customers can find out more at www.primevideo.com and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.
The author travelled to Sydney as a guest of Prime Video.
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