What happened in Amazon news this week: Amazon Channels, skincare, more

Amazon launched a new Channel, introduced a new skincare line, and announced release dates for movies and shows. Here’s what happened in Amazon news this week.

It was an exciting week for Amazon shareholders with good Amazon news being shared. This was also a good week to be an Amazon Prime member. With a new Channel, release dates for Suspiria and Absentia, and the announcement of a new skincare line, here are the important bits you missed in the news this week.

MLB.TV released through Amazon Channels

More from Amazon

• Will Merry Little Batman come to DVD and Blu-ray?
• Will Your Christmas or Mine 2 come to DVD and Blu-ray?
• The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 release updates, cast, and everything we know
• Them Season 2 release updates, cast, and everything we know
• Most sold Amazon books last week: Hungry Caterpillar and more reenter

For sports fans, the biggest news is that there’s a new Amazon Channel. MLB.TV has been released just in time for the Major League Baseball to start and it sent share prices up by 1.6%.

It is one of the more expensive Prime Video Channels available, though, at $24.99 per month. However, you can get access to a Season Pass for $118.99 per season. There is a seven-day free trial, just like there is with all other Amazon Channels.

The Prime Channel will include in-game stats live, play-by-play information, and player details, as well as allowing you to watch the regular season and out-of-market games live (or on-demand if you want to catch up). You can watch through a Fire TV device.

Skincare range released

Next up in Amazon news is the release of Belei, the first dedicated skincare line from the company. It continues the push to fight against third-party sellers on the platform. Products will cost between $9 and $40, to keep it as a budget line, and offers a range of acne treatments, moisturizers, and eye creams. All products are free from parabens, phthalates, and sulfates, as more people look for natural skin care.

This has boosted the private label products to 138. It will compete against Amazon’s own Solimo label.

Suspiria gets May 2019 release date

Those who missed out on seeing Suspiria in the theaters got some good news this week. The Amazon Studios remake will be released on Prime Video in May. May 3 to be exact.

The movie stars Tilda Swinson and Dakota Johnson. In the lead role, Johnson is an American dancer who joins a Berlin dance company in the 1970s. When she takes over as lead dancer, the former lead dancer assumes witchcraft is the issue.

However, there’s certainly something going on even if it’s not witchcraft. You’ll need to find out what throughout the horror movie and you’ll be able to see in less than two months.

Absentia Season 2 gets a release date

If you’ve been waiting (im)patiently for the release of Absentia Season 2, there was some excellent news this week. The Prime Original has landed a June release date. Look out for all eight episodes on June 14.

Stana Katic stars as Special Agent Emily Byrne. After returning from a six-year traumatic ordeal, Emily now has to deal with the new normal. She’s learned about her captor and her life as a test subject in an orphanage, and she needs to process all that. At the same time, there are new cases, new clues, and more danger.

Dark Tower gets its two leads

If you follow Stephen King news, you’ll be happy to hear that there’s some Amazon news about an upcoming adaptation. Dark Tower now has its two leads. Jasper Pääkkönen and Sam Strike have been cast.

Right now, speculation is that Pääkkönen will play Marten Broadcloak (also known as Randall Flagg and The Man in Black), while Smith will play Roland Deschain (also known as The Gunslinger). Amazon hasn’t confirmed this just yet.

Dark Tower is about Roland becoming a gunslinger and meeting The Man in Black for the first time. No release date has been set yet.

Amazon launching mobile ads

To threaten the profit for Google and Facebook, Amazon is making a change to where it shows ads. It’s going to launch mobile ads, in an attempt to get some of the $129 billion industry. Beta tests have taken place on the iOS platforms over the last few months and now they’re rolling out elsewhere.

Speaking of ads, if you have ads of products that don’t make money, there’s some bad news. Those ads will be suspended by Amazon. Products need to turn a profit, which can mean looking at changes to pricing for products.

What has been your favorite Amazon news this week? What shows and movies are you excited to see? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Get your 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime Video.