Amazon streaming: Selection of kids TV shows and movies now free

To ease the burden of parents who now have to entertain their kids inside all day, Amazon has lifted the paywall on some kids’ programming.

Amazon has made a selection of its children’s content free to watch to ease the burden of parents struggling to entertain kids now stuck at home as a result of coronavirus shutdowns.

The tech company is lifting the paywall on a raft of children’s TV shows and movies, including Peppa Pig S1, Pete the Cat, Jessy and Nessy and If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.

To access the free content, parents need to have an Amazon account, which is free to create. This is different to Amazon’s paid subscription Prime Video account, which is $59.95 a year in Australia.

You can stream the free content through the Prime Video app without needing to sign up for a Prime Video account. The Prime Video app is available on desktop, mobiles, tablets, select smart TVs

Restrictions on movement to stem the spread of coronavirus has affected many industries, including arts and entertainment.

Live shows, concert venues, entertainment venues and cinemas have all been shut down in Australia with the government advising people to stay home, potentially causing a strain on internet networks.

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Today, Netflix agreed to reduce its bit rate on streams in Australia to ease congestion on the national network.

Streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are well positioned to not just ride out but thrive during the coronavirus pandemic.

Traditional film distributors such as Universal, Disney and Paramount have had to pull their movies from their release schedule as it became increasingly clear that cinemas across the world would have to close. The new Bond movie, No Time To Die, which was originally due to premiere in early April was the first to be delayed.

The movie industry is expected to lose tens of billions of dollars with venues closed and productions suspended.

Some recently released titles such as Birds of Prey, The Invisible Man and Bloodshot have been rushed to video-on-demand digital rental in the US, violating the traditional three-month window.

Australian distributors have not confirmed if they will release any current theatrical titles for digital rental or streaming after local cinemas were ordered shut on Sunday night.

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