Amazon leveraging video content for retail

Amazon is finally looking use its streaming video service to help generate retail sales, and it’s starting with kids.

The web site has a new agreement with preschool content company HIT Entertainment to bring episodes of the show “Fireman Sam” to its Amazon Instant Video, Prime Instant Video and FreeTime Unlimited beginning on Wednesday.

The episodes will appear as a part of a “Fireman” content hub, which will also offer a number of branded retail items to be introduced later this year, including ebooks and physical products such as toys, lunchboxes and clothing.

HIT Entertainment is owned by Fisher-Price, the preschool division of toy company Mattel.

The idea, of course, is that if your kid is watching “Fireman,” then he or she will be interested in the toys and other extras associated with it. And he or she will surely tell mom about it when those items pop up on the screen.

“Fireman” has been around since 1987, airing in more than 100 countries in 60-plus languages. In the U.S. it has aired on the NBCUniversal cable channel Sprout.

Tags: amazon, amazon mattel, fireman sam, fisher-price, mattel amazon, online sales