Prime Video won’t be ad-free for much longer.
Amazon Prime subscribers — who have free access to the streaming service — will have to pay extra if they want to watch their favorite shows and movies ad-free. On Friday, the company’s press release indicated that “limited ads” will appear during content “starting in early 2024.”
For viewers who don’t want to follow promotions, an additional fee of $2.99 per month will remove ads from the streaming experience.
The best TV shows on Amazon Prime Video to stream now
The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Video.
Erika Doss/Prime Video
Existing Prime Video fees are billed in two ways: through an Amazon Prime account — $14.99 per month or $139 per year — or with a stand-alone Prime Video subscription for $8.99 per month.
While ads in any capacity can be annoying to viewers used to ad-free content, Prime Video still aims to have fewer ads than other streaming and linear TV platforms.
The US, UK, Germany and Canada are leading the way in terms of ad placement, and changes can be expected as the new year approaches. Current Prime Video subscribers will get an ad-free option immediately.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video.
Ben Rothstein/Prime Video
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Prime Video is far from the first streaming platform to introduce ads into its user experience. Hulu, Paramount+ and Peacock have offered ad-filled and ad-free tiers since their inception. Max, Disney+ and Netflix have adapted to the tier system in recent years. Now they all offer a small pay rise to opt out of the commercials that air before and during shows like traditional television stations.
The biggest difference is Netflix’s streaming, which offers an ad tier at a lower price than its basic ad-free membership, which costs $15.49 a month. In comparison, if a viewer opts for ads, they will pay around $6.99 per month.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education