Viewers will now see commercials in movies and TV shows — unless they pay a little extra.
On Monday, Amazon introduced advertisements to its Prime Video streaming service, following the announcement of this change in September. The initial launch targets customers in the US, the UK, Canada, and Germany, with plans to expand to France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia later in 2024.
Amazon clarified that Prime Video will feature a limited number of commercials, significantly fewer than traditional TV and other streaming services. However, for viewers in the US seeking an ad-free experience, a $3 monthly fee is available, with a similar no-ads option to be introduced for other countries in the future. The company assured that the current price of Prime memberships will not increase in 2024.
To opt-out of ads, users can click on the “Go Ad Free” tab in the app or web browser. Some mobile devices will display a blue “Ad” icon with a line through it. Alternatively, Prime Video users may encounter a pop-up window offering the choice to sign up for the ad-free version.
Prime Video encompasses original content from Amazon Studios and a variety of other titles available for streaming with a subscription. Subscribers can also add on extra channels like Max, Paramount Plus, and Starz for an additional monthly fee. Additionally, users have the option to rent or purchase movies and shows on the platform.
Prime Video is included in the Amazon Prime membership, priced at $15 per month or $139 annually. It is also available as a standalone subscription for $9 a month. While praised as a valuable perk within the Prime membership, Cyber Wave’s review notes that Prime Video is comparatively weaker as a standalone service when compared to alternatives like Netflix and Hulu.
In 2022, both Netflix and Disney Plus introduced ad-supported tiers to their services, aligning with other major streaming platforms such as Max and Hulu, which offer plans with advertising. Paramount Plus and Peacock have lower-cost ad-supported plans, starting at $6 a month, while Max’s ad-supported plan is priced at $10 a month.
Amazon has prior experience with ad-supported streaming through Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV), a free service supported by limited ads, featuring a mix of Amazon and Freevee originals, along with other movies and shows. Prime Video also has a Freevee channel.
While ads are currently present in all Prime Video content, including content for kids, a review of the ad-based version will be available in the coming weeks. For those unsure about the best streaming service, Cyber Wave has ranked major streaming services to assist in finding the most suitable live TV or free TV streaming service.