Walmart+ Talking Deal With Major Streamers

Walmart has been in talks with streaming players including Paramount (Paramount+), Disney (Disney+) and Comcast (Peacock) as it looks to add value to its Walmart+ membership package through streaming content, according to NYTimes sources.

A $12.95-per-month Walmart+ membership includes free shipping on Walmart.com orders, free delivery of groceries and other goods from local Walmart stores (on orders of $35 and over), fuel discounts, special promotions and events, and a six-month Spotify Premium music subscription.

Walmart+ is up against Amazon Prime, the massive Amazon membership program that in addition to special deals and free shipping/delivery benefits, includes access to Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, games and books, and perks like unlimited photo storage, 

But Walmart may see a new opportunity: Prime’s U.S. membership has stagnated since Amazon upped the annual fee by $20 in February, from $119 to $139, and the monthly price from $12.99 to $14.99.

In 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic-driven boom in ecommerce, Prime added about 60 million U.S. members, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, a Chicago firm that tracks Prime members through consumer surveys. (The firm counts members, not subscriptions. Subs may each have multiple users/members.)

But U.S. membership as of June 30 this year was 172 million — the same as six months earlier. (Amazon recently reported having 200 million Prime members worldwide.)

Walmart has been seeking ways to expand its in-store entertainment products clout online, according to MediaPost.