Guess what? It’s another week and another price increase/ad break increase from a streamer. This time Amazon’s Prime Video is getting into the streaming shenanigans. Amazon plans to bring ads into its previously ad-free Prime Video movies and television series. This follows in the footsteps of many streamers who have recently added ads into their content strategies such as Netflix, Disney+, Max, and more. Prime Video has long remained ad-free, but it seems like the siren song of ad revenue is too strong to resist. For those who continue to desire an ad-less and commercial-free existence, Prime Video will offer an ad-free tier, but it will come at a price increase. Here’s what we know.
When and Where Will Ads Hit Prime Video
There is no specific date yet for when ads will arrive to Prime Video, however, they are expected in early 2024. Variety reports that ads will first arrive in the US, UK, Germany, and Canada and then will come to Prime Video in France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia at a later date in 2024.
How Much Will the Ad-Free Prime Video Tier Cost?
If commercials in your Prime Video movies and TV shows doesn’t sound like a fun time, you can pay to keep your experience ad-free. In the US, an ad-Free Prime Video will cost $2.99 more a month on top of the annual Prime fee of $139.
More About This Upcoming Change
According to Variety, Amazon “plans to run fewer ads on Amazon Prime Video than traditional broadcasters or broadband rivals.” And, of course, Amazon shares that the addition of ads into the Prime Video ecosystem will allow the company to “continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time.”
More than ever, streaming is moving toward becoming exactly like its cable predecessor. We guess we’ll have to wait and see how consumers continue to react.
