Amazon will now offer the first episodes of several TV series for free via its Prime Instant Video iOS app.
Amazon previously offered its first episode promotion to those with a Kindle Fire tablet, a Roku, or Amazon’s newly launched set-top box Fire TV. As part of the promotion, people can watch the episode for free with advertising as part of a “try before you buy” strategy.
The availability of free first episodes comes as part of an update to the iOS app that the company pushed out today. Today’s update also offers a few enhancements to the video player, including a new one-touch play button and a 10-second fast forward or rewind button. You’ll also be able to skip to the next episode of a TV series more easily.
The move is interesting, especially because Amazon just released its own smartphone, the Fire Phone, to compete against the iPhone and a plethora of Android handsets.
