Amazon Launches 'Watch Party' For Prime Video In US

Amazon.com Inc. AMZN is adding a new feature called "Watch Party" to Prime Video, TechCrunch reported Monday.

What Happened

The feature will allow users of the streaming video on demand service to be able to watch the same content together, as noted by TechCrunch. The host of such a co-viewing event will be able to control the navigation across devices of the participating users, including starting, stopping, and pausing the video.

Watch Party comes at no additional cost to the Amazon Prime subscription, the e-commerce company said, according to TechCrunch. The feature is currently only available in the United States.

As many as 100 people can be in a Watch Party at the same time, Amazon said, as per TechCrunch. The users will also be able to interact with each other through an in-built chat room.

Titles that are only available for purchase or rent can't be used for co-viewing, TechCrunch reported.

Why It Matters

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the demand for remote co-watching features as physical gatherings were restricted to limit the spread of the deadly virus.

Another Amazon subsidiary, Twitch, previously offered the ability to co-watch a select number of Prime Video titles.

Some social media companies, including Facebook Inc. FB, give users the ability to host similar co-viewing events. Third-party browser extensions have also provided co-viewing options for SVOD services.

Price Action

Amazon shares closed nearly 0.5% lower at $2,680.38 on Monday. The shares were up about 0.5% in the after-hours session at $2,693.10.

Image: Amazon