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Amazon is planning a massive expansion, and it could be a big threat to TV as we know it

Amazon is moving Prime Instant Video towards a more cable TV-like service, Bloomberg reports.

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The company is looking at adding other networks, including TV and movie channels, to its offering, which it will bundle and sell to customers alongside Prime. 

The move, which is still far from complete, would position Prime away from Netflix or Hulu and towards a traditional cable TV network, such as Comcast or DirecTV.

kindle jeff bezos
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos holds up the Kindle Fire HD 7" and Kindle Fire HD 8.9" during Amazon's Kindle Fire event in Santa Monica, California September, 2012. Gus Ruelas/Reuters

Apple is reported to be planning a similar service, bundling TV and movie channels into a package, which it can then sell to Apple TV customers.

The update to Prime will give networks and content makers access to a huge customer base, which Bloomberg claims is younger than the average cable-TV subscriber. According to the Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, Amazon's Prime service has 44 million members who spend around $1,500 (£1,000) a year

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Prime Instant Video is a big focus right now for Amazon, which recently bought the rights to Jeremy Clarkson's new TV show for $250 million (£165 million). Clarkson later made an advert for the company promoting its Fire TV service.

It's unclear when Amazon's updates to Prime Instant Video will roll-out as the deals with content providers are still being negotiated, according to Bloomberg.

Business Insider has reached out to Amazon for comment. 

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