Half of Amazon's more than 100 million Prime subscribers probably signed up for streamlined shipping, and the others wanted premium video content, said Michael Simon, a staff writer at PC Magazine.
The Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed the number of Prime subscribers in his [annual shareholder letter](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000119312518121161/d456916dex991.htm) on Thursday.
The letter also discussed such esoteric issues as yoga handstands and the qualities of a good memo. Bezos also wrote that Amazon shipped more than 5 billion products to Prime subscribers around the world, and Amazon's video service “continues to drive Prime member adoption and retention.”
Bezos did not say how many subscribers signed up primarily for that original video content and how many for shipping, but PC Magazine's Simon said it was “probably split halfway."
Whether it was free shipping or premium video content that drove users to pay around $100 a year for Prime, the large number of subscribers highlights Amazon's potential to further disrupt retail and the entertainment industry at the same time.
Recent moves also show Amazon's tactics extend to the brick-and-mortar realm: Amazon bought the Whole Foods grocery chain last year and the company announced Wednesday that its smart Fire TVs will be sold exclusively at Best Buy stores later this year, turning one of its biggest competitors into an ally.
“This is something of an olive branch,” said Simon. “If this is successful, we could see Best Buy branching out to more exclusive deals, maybe even with exclusive Echo products.”
Investors and consumers can likely expect more. As Bezos wrote in his shareholder letter: "You cannot rest on your laurels in this world."
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/amazon-prime-soars-with-100-million-subscribers).
Joe Cecela, Dream Exchange CEO, explains how they are aiming to form the first minority-controlled company to operate an exchange in U.S. history. Watch!
A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters and ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring weather arrives. Genesee County Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart. The judge also wants to reward shoppers with free car washes. Clothier says he began ordering “Walmart wash” sentences this week for shoplifting at the store in Grand Blanc Township. He believes 75 to 100 people eventually will be ordered to wash cars this spring. Clothier says he will be washing cars alongside them when the time comes.
The State Department had been in talks with Elon Musk’s Tesla company to buy armored electric vehicles, but the plans have been put on hold by the Trump administration after reports emerged about a potential $400 million purchase. A State Department spokesperson said the electric car company owned by Musk was the only one that expressed interest back in May 2024. The deal with Tesla was only in its planning phases but it was forecast to be the largest contract of the year. It shows how some of his wealth has come and was still expected to come from taxpayers.
At 100 years old, the Goodyear Blimp is an ageless star in the sky. The 246-foot-long airship will be in the background of the Daytona 500 — flying roughly 1,500 feet above Daytona International Speedway, actually — to celebrate its greatest anniversary tour. Even though remote camera technologies are improving regularly and changing the landscape of aerial footage, the blimp continues to carve out a niche. At Daytona, with the usual 40-car field racing around a 2½-mile superspeedway, views from the blimp aptly provide the scope of the event.
