Similar to Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video (Amazon’s streaming service) have opted to reduce their quality in an effort to alleviate Europe’s internet networks, which are under increasing strain from quarantined citizens.
“We are making a commitment to temporarily switch all traffic in the EU to standard definition by default,” YouTube said in a statement after European Union industry chief Thierry Breton spoke to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki about reducing its bitrates. (Breton was also the one who prompted Netflix to change its streaming quality earlier this week.)
“I warmly welcome the initiative that Google has taken to preserve the smooth functioning of the internet during the COVID19 crisis,” said Breton.
As for Prime Video, Amazon offered the following statement:
“Prime Video is working with local authorities and Internet Service Providers where needed to help mitigate any network congestion, including in Europe where we’ve already begun the effort to reduce streaming bitrates whilst maintaining a quality streaming experience for our customers.”
Other popular streaming services are expected to follow suit. That would include Disney+, which has 28.6 million users.