Beginning this Friday, at 12:00 a.m. EST, Amazon will cut the price of its Prime Membership to $67 for a 24 hour period, ending at 11:59 p.m. EST. The price is in honor of the 67th edition of the Emmys, reduced from the usual $99 fee the company charges for a year’s worth of Prime benefits.
Those benefits include a growing selection of hit TV shows and movies, original titles like Ridley Scott’s anticipated series The Man in the High Castle, as well as a free music streaming service, and, of course, free Prime shipping on a cornucopia of products.
The celebration comes as Amazon’s series Transparent took home five trophies at this year’s Emmys, including the coveted awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Director in a Comedy Series, which went to Jeffrey Tambor and Jill Soloway, respectively.
A ten-part series that centers around an LA family who discovers their patriarch is transgender, Transparent is a perfect example of a series that may have been quashed by more conservative traditional television networks. However, with Transparent, and other new series, Amazon has made a name for itself for creating a hands-off, open environment, allowing the talent to go in whatever direction they choose. The practice, which echoes similar hands-off content creators like HBO and Netflix, has obviously paid off when it comes to critical accolades.
With major awards comes vindication, and Amazon seems to be putting a large focus — and big bucks — into the future of its online TV service, with recent purchases like the exclusive rights to the ex-hosts of hit UK show Top Gear, which reportedly came on board at an astronomical price.
“This has been an incredibly exciting year—with the Golden Globes wins in January and now twelve nominations and five Primetime Emmy wins. We are thrilled to celebrate Transparent with our customers by offering a Prime discount,” said Vice President of Amazon Digital Video Michael Paull. “Congratulations again to Jill Soloway, Jeffrey Tambor and the cast and crew of Transparent for making such a beautiful show, and to our customers—enjoy!”
