Amazon Prime Video US vs UK: The Difference

The Prime Video subscription was introduced as part of Amazon Prime’s subscription program, intended to turn up the heat on Netflix.

However, not every movie or TV show is available on the UK version of Amazon Prime Video due to geo restrictions. Here’s what you can do if you want to watch content that isn’t available on Amazon Prime UK.

Amazon Prime Video country comparison

Amazon Prime Video is available only to certain countries and is based on regional broadcast laws.

Price-wise, there isn’t a drastic difference between a US and UK Amazon Prime membership. They’re two of the most expensive countries to sign up to Amazon from, with costs at £7.99-8.99 in the UK and $9.99 in the US.

However, you won’t get access to all Amazon Prime Video titles in the UK. For example, Amazon US has access to some old UK soap operas that aren’t available in the UK version.

Amazon Prime Video has many more shows in its US version that aren’t available in the UK version, which is why it may be worth trying to use VPN to access a US server.

You can also use this for certain other areas like Spain, Canada, France and India which all have a different catalog of films and TV shows that you can gain access too.

How to watch American Amazon Prime in UK?

Prime Video is available across Britain, but the exclusive content can often struggle to rival the American version, which has a whole host of content available.

To access US Prime in the United Kingdom, the best way to do this is use a VPN. Amazon Prime Video has limited access to UK shows because of geographical licensing restrictions and content distribution rights.

So certain movie shows are only accessible in US and cannot be viewed elsewhere. You can use a VPN app, like NordVPN or Express VPN, to watch Amazon Prime Video in another country.

Once you start up your Virtual Private Network, you can select the Amazon Prime country you want to watch from. When you’re connected to the VPN service, open up your Amazon Prime Video account in the American version.

Prime Video US contains great content that is easily accessible when you can bypass locations. It’s possible to change the location of Amazon Prime Video through using VPNs, and it’s a good way to get rid of the Prime Video Unavailable error message.

Yoiu can do this on your Windows laptop, but it’s also possible to do it with iOS and Android phones, as well as MacOS devices too.

Will changing my Amazon Prime region cause buffering?

If your connection speed is not very high during video streaming, you might experience buffering.

If you think that this may be the case, you could stop watching videos and wait to see what happens. Usually, buffering is a sign on a bad VPN or a weak connection.

VPNs are good for accessing your usual services when traveling, but they can reduce your speed slightly. So, be patient when you’re using a VPN server and trying to access the Amazon Prime Video app.

Why doesn’t the UK have the same titles?

The reason why the catalog of films and TV shows available in the US and UK version of Amazon Prime Video is different is because of broadcasting rights.

This means that in the UK, the BBC and ITV will have strict broadcasting rights over certain shows, so only they can show them on their channels or via their streaming services.

However, these strict conditions do not apply to streaming services that are overseas. So, you may find great UK TV shows available in a different country, which is why switching your account region can give you access to watch it.

Conclusion

The good thing about Amazon Prime is that subscribers can view Prime video content from all compatible smart TV and streaming systems, as well as the iPhone and iPad.

And, Prime members have an easy way to subscribe to specific channels within their Prime account too. However, it can be annoying when Amazon Prime Video UK doesn’t have the same catalog of films as other regions.

When this happens, the best thing for you to do is use a VPN server. You can then watch Amazon Prime Video from another location, and get access to new Amazon Prime video content you haven’t got access to on the UK version.

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Author

Edward

Edward brings years of experience in a variety of different fields including online marketing & No-code app development, and he's been investing in stocks and cryptocurrency since 2016. Outside of work you'll usually find him watching movies at the local cinema or playing games in the Apple Arcade.

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