A new streaming service is coming to New Zealand: What is AMC+?
A new streaming service is coming to New Zealand – AMC+ will premiere this week, offering its original hit series to New Zealand for the first time.
What is it?
AMC Networks is a major international studio, and AMC has been the studio behind hit series such as The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul, and Mad Men.
Courtney Thomasma, General Manager of AMC+, described the new streaming bundle as “a destination for groundbreaking dramas and epic fan-driven franchises.... [offering] thousands of hours of premium programming for Kiwi viewers”.
What's on it?
An AMC+ subscription, which will include access to both Acorn and Shudder, will include exclusive, original series – including the debut of Interview with the Vampire, launching simultaneously in the US and New Zealand on AMC+ this weekend.
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The platform will also debut Tales of the Walking Dead, an anthology series from The Walking Dead universe, which will consist of one-hour standalone episodes focusing on new and returning characters. The show stars Anthony Edwards (Inventing Anna), Parker Posey (Lost in Space) and Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead).
AMC+ will also premiere the intriguing new western noir thriller Dark Winds, which has been executive-produced by Emmy-winner George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and Oscar-winner Robert Redford (the show debuted to critical acclaim – and currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes).
Available now are sci-fi thriller Moonhaven starring Dominic Monaghan (Lost) and Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Australian vampire thriller Firebite with Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black), gritty crime drama 61st Street by the makers of The Night Of, with Emmy-winner Courtney B. Vance (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story), revenge thriller The Beast Must Die starring Bafta-winner Jared Harris (Chernobyl) and the popular Irish gangland drama Kin starring Charlie Cox (Daredevil).
Coming in the months ahead are Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, The Walking Dead: Dead City, and the The Walking Dead spin-off.
There will be a host of new and original content added every week.
How much will it cost?
They are offering a special bundle for Apple and Android users to celebrate the launch, which features a special price of $7.99 per month for those willing to lock in a one-year subscription.
Otherwise, the standard monthly price will be $9.99 per month (Acorn TV and Shudder are already available as stand-alone platforms at $7.99 each).
When is it coming?
The AMC+ streaming bundle is available now via their website.
Will it be worth ditching my others?
If you’re one of those bemoaning that there is “nothing to watch on Netflix” – this new streaming bundle might come as sweet relief.
However, the golden age of television comes with very real pressures on both your time and your wallet: New Zealanders already have Neon, Sky, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, TVNZ+, ThreeNow, and Apple TV+ (to name a few) and the streaming fatigue can feel very real.
However, AMC Studios’ track record is excellent, for both prestige and commercial dramas alike –including The Walking Dead, the highest-rated cable series of all time, and Mad Men.
Some of AMC’s hit shows, such as Better Call Saul, are all already available in New Zealand on different services.
Nonetheless, the buzzy, big-budget shows arriving at the platform are nearly all new commissions, which is exciting to see.
The international critical acclaim and A-listers arriving with each new show will likely be major drawcards for New Zealand audiences.
For those seeking a streaming service that champions fresh genre flair and top-rated thrillers, AMC+ could well be worth checking out.