The Chosen Partners with Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is becoming the exclusive 3rd party home of The Chosen and The Chosen Cinematic Universe. In a recent livestream, Dallas Jenkins announced the big news and explained the ways that it will shape and impact the show's future. I'll summarize some of the important details below. You can also find my initial reaction on YouTube.
Does that mean The Chosen will no longer be available for free?
No. Past and future seasons of The Chosen will still be available for free on The Chosen App. However, before new seasons of the show are available on The Chosen app, there will be a brief 90-day window, during which it will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Fans who have donated to Season 5 will also be able to access it during this period through The Chosen app.
Does that mean Amazon Prime Video is taking control of The Chosen?
No. Dallas Jenkins will maintain final creative control of the show. The Come and See Foundation will continue to provide oversight.
During the livestream, Dallas and Amanda Jenkins had a conversation with Vernon Sanders and Traci Blackwell, two executives from Prime Video. Traci shared that she was a "bold believer," "a follower of Christ", and a fan "obsessed" with The Chosen from even before her time at Amazon. She shared how she saw this partnership as a "mission" and an "assignment from God." The two shared how Amazon was aware of the demand for quality, authentic Christian content and had made it a priority to find a way to partner with The Chosen to serve its customer base. Dallas and Amanda shared how their meetings with Amazon assured them that Amazon would be a safe partner that they could trust and that they had a heart connection with. Vernon shared how the company wanted to be humble and provide resources without a heavy corporate hand, because they recognized that The Chosen already had an established and powerful relationship with its audience.
What will The Chosen gain from making Amazon Prime Video its exclusive 3rd party platform?
Dallas described several benefits to the partnership between The Chosen and Amazon. Up until this point, because The Chosen has been on multiple platforms instead of being exclusive to one platform, it has received far less financial and marketing resources than it might otherwise receive. Although the core The Chosen series will continue to be funded by donations, it would be difficult to fund additional spin-offs in the same way. Through the partnership with Amazon Prime Video, The Chosen will receive funding for future shows. Amazon will also help fund marketing for the show, so that The Chosen can reach an even greater global audience. Prime Video is also a more visible place for new fans to discover The Chosen for the first time. For context: Dallas noted how, since The Chosen first appeared on Prime Video last year, the existing viewership doubled in size.
Are other Bible shows coming to Amazon Prime Video?
As noted above, future shows from The Chosen Universe will appear on Prime Video. Amazon Prime Video will also be the home to House of David, another Bible show created by Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn, two other established Christian writer-directors. House of David will be released on February 27. I recently broke down the teaser trailer and am hopeful that it may be the biggest new Bible show since The Chosen. House of David is not directly related to The Chosen, but Dallas Jenkins is serving as a consultant for Wonder Project, the organization that created it, and its scripts have been reviewed by the same biblical scholar.
Did Dallas Jenkins announce anything else about The Chosen?
Dallas shared about the recent takeover of Times Square, which featured photos by Annie Leibovitz, a top-tier photographer. He also shared that tickets for The Chosen Season 5 are now available for sale. Part 1 (Episodes 1 and 2) will premiere March 28. Part 2 (Episodes 3-5) will premiere April 4. Part 3 (Episodes 6-8) will premiere April 11. Fans can also binge the entire season on Palm Sunday weekend and Easter weekend. Two short sections of The Chosen Adventures were also shared.
How can I get Amazon Prime Video?
If you already have Amazon Prime, you already have access to Amazon Prime Video. You can sign up for an Amazon Prime subscription here (affiliate link).
