amcpremiere.com
AMC - the channel that everyone loves. The name is a surefire cure for boredom; images of bygone classics come to mind - films like The House on the Prarie and American Graffiti. But even moreso, AMC's existence is synonymous with change in the world of American TV. It first appeared in 1984, and since then it's undergone lots of changes - from its original programming format to its current lineup. Regardless of all the shifts, AMC remains one of America's most popular channels.
I'm here to take a look under the hood of AMC Premiere's premium streaming service. With new streaming platforms cropping up left and right, it's becoming more difficult to make wise consumer decisions. Do you go with Netflix? Hulu? Both, or neither? What does AMC Premiere have that the others don't? What is AMC Premiere, anyway?
We'll examine the premium service's ins and outs. I'll explain how it works, who it's for, and whether it's worth subscribing to it. You may even learn a thing or two in the process.
How it Started
During the 1980s, if you flipped to the AMC channel, you would find it playing old-school American classics. Most of these films dated back before the 1950s and were played during the afternoon and evening hours only at first. If you wanted to watch The Phantom of the Opera or films by the Marx brothers, you would be in luck; however, if you were looking for something contemporary, best look elsewhere. Simply put, at this early stage, AMC had modest ambitions.
In the 1990s, modernity slapped AMC in the face. The channel responded by adapting a 24-hour playing schedule and its customer base grew as major cable providers agreed to carry it. But soon, AMC cashed out and introduced commercials in between movies, as well as commercial breaks during films. This act foreshadowed the big change that the channel would soon undergo.
As the new millennium began, AMC underwent a transformation, ditching its old-fashioned approach of only showing classic movies in order to keep up with the times. Within a few years, reality series had taken over as silent films were no longer necessary. Management chalked it up to being in need of money, given how ruthless the power of the dollar can be.
In 2007, AMC's original programming regained some respect and since then, the channel's popularity has steadily increased. Shows like The Walking Dead have helped to sustain this growth, and now, AMC seems to have a certain level of respect from consumers.
How it Works
Some major media companies have released clunky streaming platforms that are often confusing to use. Take, for example, Showtime. It operates two near-identical streaming services: Showtime and Showtime Anytime. Both offer the exact same content, but each has its own standalone app and portal. Huh? We wish we could say AMC was more efficient, but it isn't - not by much.
If you don't already receive AMC through your television provider, then you're not eligible for AMC Premiere. There's currently no way to sign up for it as a standalone service.
This isn't to say that you need an AMC Premiere subscription to stream any of AMC's content. Logging into AMC's media hub through your television provider's portal, you can download the regular AMC app. Once it's installed, you can sync it to any of your streaming devices to watch your favorite content.
So, is Premiere worth it? After all, the library is the same, right? Right. But what AMC Premiere does is give you access to special features, like being able to watch behind the scenes bonus footage or download episodes onto your device for offline viewing. For select shows, they also promise an ad-free watching experience. At $4.99/month, you'll have to decide for yourself whether Premiere is worth it.
To reiterate, you can only get Premiere if you already have access to AMC through a provider. To sign up for AMC Premiere, you'll need to go directly through that provider. There is no standalone app, and the $4.99/month charge will be tacked on to the monthly bill you receive from your provider.
What?s Included
Unfortunately, you'll have to wait to watch some of the best AMC shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men. These shows are not usually available on streaming devices, except during special catch-up opportunities.
I wonder if the streaming giants nabbed up exclusive hosting rights to these shows early on in the game. Possibly AMC's management didn't plan on having a premium streaming service themselves, but without the channel's bread-and-butter shows, what's left?
We'll divide AMC's library into two groups: those available as full series, and those of which you can only watch the current season.
Full Series:
Kevin Smith's Comic Book Men aired its final episode on January 14th, 2017. In the episode, they covered The Making of the Mob and Unspeakable. Then, State of the Union was discussed, followed by Alcatraz and The Name of the Rose. Finally, NOS4A2 was covered.
Current Season Only:
The Walking Dead, Talking Dead, Into the Badlands, Brockmire, Fear the Walking Dead, Killing Eve.
What does this mean for Breaking Bad and Mad Men fans who expected to find these shows on their parent channel's premium streaming service? The library lacks disappointing. Simply put, it is a disappointing list. Those who were lured in by Breaking Bad or Mad Men will probably be puzzled that these legendary shows are not present on their parent channel's premium streaming service.
Design of the Website
There's not much here to talk about. The website is poorly designed, clumsy, and half-broken. Contrary to what you might expect, the search function doesn't even search inside the streaming platform's library. Rather, it searches through AMC's entire archival catalog. A search for Mad Men turns up a 1999-looking query filled with useless links, including a list of the show's cast and a link to the show's Facebook page. You'd have more luck searching on Ask Jeeves.
The navigation menu on the site is broken down into subcategories: Featured Shows, All Shows, Movies, Schedule, and Talk. Clicking on Featured Shows brings you to a cluttered and counterintuitive landing page designed without rhyme or reason. If you are somehow able to locate your series of choice, then you're in the clear. The web client functions adequately though I'm not sure that's much of an accomplishment - after all, it's the bare minimum.
Prime Video?s Strengths
I'll be honest. There are few strengths to speak of. If you're a fan of The Walking Dead, well, even then, there's only one season available to watch. While the service touts its ad-free viewing experience as a feature, I feel like I'm being gaslighted. Why wouldn't a premium for-pay service offer ad-free viewing? This isn't really a feature, but more of an industry standard.
Prime Video?s Weaknesses
There's not much good to say about AMC Premiere. The website is clunky and outdated, the user interface is difficult to navigate, and the monthly subscription price is too high for what you get. Plus, most of AMC's series are unavailable to subscribers, which is a major disappoint.
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