Amazon is thirsty for an Oscar

Berlin - US online retail giant Amazon said on Sunday it plans to produce 16 feature films a year, throwing down the gauntlet to Netflix, whose African war drama Beasts of No Nation may be headed for Oscar glory in February.

"We want to win an Oscar," Amazon boss Jeff Bezos told Sunday's edition of the German daily Die Welt.

With its Prime subscription service, Amazon has invested heavily in boosting its video content, and like Netflix has gone into original production, both in TV series and now in cinema.

Amazon won five Emmys for the TV comedy series Transparent this year.

The feature films will hit the big screen and be quickly available on Amazon's online service.

Netflix for its part is targeting 10 feature releases while roughly doubling its production of TV series to 31 next year.

Bezos said he is also mulling acquiring the rights to rebroadcast world football championships such as the English Premier League and Germany's Bundesliga.

The Amazon boss also said he was awaiting the green light for a planned "Prime Air" service to deliver retail goods to customers.

"The technology is already developed," he added, noting that Britain or Germany may obtain permission to use the delivery method before the United States.

Amazon, created in 1994, has sold books via the Internet since 1995 and has since rapidly expanded to other goods and services.