How millennials and the middle-aged get to streaming TV

Adam Tinworth
Adam Tinworth

NOT Top Gear. Something else. Something on Amazon.

Compare and contrast:

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are reuniting to create an all-new car show, exclusively for Amazon Prime. The show will be produced by the trio’s long time executive producer Andy Wilman. On working with Amazon, Jeremy Clarkson said “I feel like I’ve climbed out of a bi-plane and into a spaceship.” The first show will go into production shortly and arrive exclusively on Amazon Prime in 2016.

I bet Amazon is about to sell a lot more Fire TVs to middle-aged men in the next six months. (They’re really excellent, by the way. I you have Amazon Prime, you should buy one).

Meanwhile, a woman who built her fame on YouTube – Michelle Phan – is also heading to Amazon Fire TV:

The fashion video star has brought her Icon Network app, which features clips from her and other beauty/makeup advisers, to Amazon’s Fire TV platform. She’s not the first person to succeed on YouTube and head to Amazon — gadget vlogger Andru Edwards has already brought his Gear Live network there — but she’s by far the most prominent.

The difference? Our late-middle aged car fans are producing a TV show and having it distributed by Amazon. The YouTubers are building their own apps and putting them on the platform. You might want to note that TV giant Endemol lurks behind Phan’s Icon Network, though…

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Adam is a lecturer, trainer and writer. He's been a blogger for over 20 years, and a journalist for more than 30. He lectures on audience strategy and engagement at City, University of London.

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