We look forward to expanding our production efforts into feature films. Our goal is to create close to twelve movies a year with production starting later this year,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “Not only will we bring Prime Instant Video customers exciting, unique, and exclusive films soon after a movie’s theatrical run, but we hope this program will also benefit filmmakers, who too often struggle to mount fresh and daring stories that deserve an audience.
Amazon, like Netflix, is attempting to produce its own original content.
Producing your own content gives you not only creative control, but also gives you flexibility in pricing and restrictions (Amazon could say choose to distribute globally instead of only in markets big studios say it can).
Source: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2008551