As it continues to push out its Alexa platform across many fronts, Amazon has added a video replay of NBC’s "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" to the mix.
The replays of Fallon’s monologue from the show will be available on the new Echo Show device, which is equipped with a 7-inch screen and starts shipping today. Reviews of the $230 device have been largely positive, but for Amazon the hardware is more of a vessel for its voice technology overall, which has broader implications for the e-commerce company.
Viewers who subscribe to the show’s flash briefing in their settings can start playing the video clip on the Echo Show by saying, “Alexa, what is my flash briefing?”
The “Tonight Show” flash briefing is the only replay content delivered to the Echo Show via Alexa for the time being, Amazon says. But other flash briefings have been optimized for the Echo Show from video partners including Bloomberg, TechCrunch, People, CNN and CNBC.
Fallon, ever the enthusiast, took to Twitter to announce the new platform. “You know we love the Amazon Echo here at the show, because it works—it actually works,” he wrote. “You say stuff, it listens to you, it just works.”
For Amazon, whose stock has surged in recent months as the company has also announced major deals like the acquisition of Whole Foods Market, the Echo strategy is potentially transformative. It is seen as a potent rival to Apple and others as companies jockey for homes becoming steadily smarter, connecting devices through voice and gesture technology.
It also could get interesting for Echo when it comes to video discovery. Everyone, from programmers to distributors to advertisers, is on the prowl for intuitive, low-friction discovery tools that can unlock on-demand content and increase engagement. After a successful debut on branded speaker systems and with Prime Video enjoying new levels of success, the rollout of the Echo Show will be closely watched.