Amazon?s on-demand streaming service is urging consumers to view the first episode of its latest series for free on Facebook for a limited time, a move designed to drum up excitement surrounding the show and help Amazon Instant Video better compete with Netflix and HBO. 

The first episode of original series Catastrophe will be available to all Facebook users over the age of 18 for 48 hours to stream and view for no charge. Amazon hopes to create a widespread buzz around the show to better compete with other streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu Plus. 

"Choosing to stream the show's first episode on the biggest social media network in the world, Amazon will have the chance to create buzz and promote the show in front a millions of people," said Melissa Greenberg, general manager at Fetch, New York. "On Facebook, word of mouth is a powerful and organic tool, where users tend to trust what their close network of friends share. 

"This would be a great way to drive awareness naturally, without a promotional identity," she said. 

Netflix recently launched the highly anticipated third season of its original series Orange is the New Black. Social and media conversation is currently dominated by the series, and Amazon needs a competitive edge to spread word of its new series. 

Amazon Instant Video created a Facebook event page for the streaming experience, which became live at 4 p.m. PST Monday afternoon. Interested users have until 4 p.m. PST April 17 to view the first episode for free. 

After the free streaming has ended, viewers can view the episode, along with the entire first season on Amazon Prime Instant Video, free with a Prime subscription. 

It is important for Amazon to give consumers a sneak peak of the series. Offering a single episode allows viewers to get hooked on the series and engage through Amazon Prime to get more content from the show. 

Allowing free streaming for a limited also creates more hype around the show, it generates a feeling of immediacy. Users have to act right away to take advantage of the free event. 

Facebook has become more integrated with media and publishing companies, and the free series sneak-peak furthers its place in the media and entertainment world.

The Facebook event comes at a pivotal time for Amazon Prime, as the summer season features more original series from premium networks and streaming services, for its content to stand out, it has to find a unique edge. 

With HBO Now and Showtime joining the standalone streaming services, competition is higher than ever as consumers now have an enormous assortment of streaming content to choose from. Reoccurring shows such as Orange is the New Black and HBO?s True Detective post real threats to Catastrophe, but the array of new series launching through streaming as well, further the competition. 

HBO implemented similar tactics for its premiere of its cult series and promote its new on-demand streaming service. Game of Thrones, the first of HBO's series to launch on HBO Now, saw its red carpet premiere streamed live on Facebook as the producers of television programming increasingly turn to social media to reach new viewers on mobile in real-time (see more). 

Showtime is challenging these other streaming services such as HBO, Amazon, Netflix and cable service providers with its new standalone streaming service through its mobile app, available for a cheaper price than HBO (see more). 

"By streaming the show on Facebook, Amazon will reach users who often watch Netflix and Hulu Plus," Ms. Greenberg said. "Amazon will have a chance to infiltrate this market place and directly compete in taking users away from the two other video  streaming services. 

"By offering the first episode on Facebook, the series as whole will receive more awareness," she said. "Leveraging the largest online network in the world, Amazon's potential reach will be unlike anything else and word of mouth will play a important role in driving awareness."

Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer