Amazon's been trying to turn Instant Video into a major player in the streaming space, and it looks like its dedication is starting to pay off: Amazon says that Prime video streams have nearly tripled year over year, and it cites video-delivery firm Qwilt to say that Instant Video is now the third largest video site overall, behind Netflix and YouTube. If correct, that would mean that Amazon has jumped ahead of Apple and Hulu to take the number three spot. Amazon likely only controls a small percent or so of the market even so, with Netflix retaining its position as one of the largest sources of internet traffic — not just video streams.

"We've invested hundreds of millions of dollars in great TV shows and movies."

With the launch of Fire TV last week, Amazon is certainly hoping that figure will continue to rise now that even more people will have a simple way to browse, rent, and buy movies and TV shows on Amazon. "We’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars in great TV shows and movies for Prime members and it’s working," Bill Carr, an Amazon video and music executive, says in a statement.

Amazon's also continuing its push into original content, announcing its second slate of original shows last Monday. Though it's seen far less success than Netflix in this area, Amazon's programs have gotten more buzz than those from Hulu. Amazon doesn't say exactly which of these elements is responsible for drawing in so much new traffic, but it appears to be continuing its assault on all fronts — bringing viewers popular shows and movies, original content, and easy ways to watch — to make sure that it's positioned to keep growing.