Amazon updated on Monday its Amazon Instant Video app for iOS with a new feature called "First Episode Free."
The feature, which is already available on the Kindle Fire 2nd generation, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HDX and Roku, gives users access to a free first episode of hundreds of different TV series.
These shows range from classics (The Donna Reed Show and Perfect Strangers) to more-recent shows (The O.C. and Air Disasters).
Users can search for a show in iOS by tapping on the browse button, and selecting First Episode Free. Then they can browse the carousel of shows.
The pilot episode of each series is available to watch for free, albeit with some advertisements. In our test with the pilot episode of The O.C., the ad breaks were similar in duration to what would you find in Hulu. For now, most of the ad content is around Amazon products and original series, but that could obviously change in the future.
Although it's possible that the goal of First Episode Free is to push à la carte or full-season Amazon digital sales, it could also be a sign that the company is testing the waters for an ad-supported offering.
Most shows (but not all) available in the First Episode Free program are not eligible for Amazon Prime, a subscription service that offers free delivery and other perks. Amazon has focused most of its "free" efforts on Prime, so to see ad-supported à la carte content is an interesting addition.
It's also noteworthy that many of these shows from Warner Bros. are not available on other streaming offerings, and are only sold à la carte. Amazon has signed a number of exclusive Prime streaming deals with Warner Bros., so if the company is testing an ad-driven streaming model, WB may just be the right studio partner.