Amazon pulls Prime FAST channel in Germany and Austria, expands third-party add-ons in Europe

Prime Video announced that its “Prime” FAST channel, an ad-supported linear streaming service, will cease operations in Germany and Austria on August 1, concluding a 15-month experiment. The channel relied on technology from Palo Alto-based Wurl, a provider that supports billions of monthly viewing hours across hundreds of platforms. This shutdown reflects the challenges of launching curated FAST channels that blend linear TV formats with on-demand SVOD content.

Amazon is instead concentrating on its Prime Video Channels model, which aggregates third-party streaming services under one subscription and billing framework. The company revealed a slate of new add-on services—such as HBO Max, SkyShowtime, Apple TV, MGM+, Lionsgate+, MUBI, Hayu, Crunchyroll, Universal+ and BritBox—for Prime members in Denmark, Norway and Switzerland. Elisabetta Carruba, Director of Channels for EMEA, said the expansion strengthens Prime’s portfolio of series and movies alongside its originals. Qaisar Rafique of Warner Bros Discovery noted the addition of HBO Max as a key step in broadening premium content access across the region.