Millions of Amazon Prime Video users received an email on Wednesday notifying them of a major upcoming change to the streaming platform. The email informed subscribers that more ads will start appearing on the platform starting January 29, unless they choose to pay an additional subscription fee.
According to the email, Amazon’s Prime Video will include “limited advertisements” on its movies and TV shows. The decision to introduce ads to the platform was initially announced in September, but no date was given at the time. Now, it seems that the change is coming sooner than expected.
In the email, Amazon explained that the extra revenue from ads will allow them to continue investing in high-quality content for Prime Video. They also stated their aim to have fewer ads than traditional TV or other streaming platforms.
However, for those who do not want to see any ads on their Prime Video experience, Amazon will offer a new ad-free subscription tier for an additional $2.99 per month. This will bring the total cost of a standalone subscription to $11.98, which is almost the same as Netflix’s most basic plan.
@amazon is getting greedier… Adding ads to their prime video but you know, feel free to add MORE money to your prime subscription for an ad free option. 🙄 Companies pay Amazon to advertise, they make more profits, but hey let’s not transfer any savings to consumers. pic.twitter.com/3ygQsqCxD0
— Lisa L. 🇺🇸 (@shorty_le6) December 27, 2023
The decision to include ads on Prime Video may not sit well with many subscribers who have been enjoying an ad-free experience so far. In response to any potential backlash, Amazon included a reminder of the other benefits that come with a Prime membership.
Nearly $10 billion in profits (3x more than the year before) and Amazon needs to add commercials to Prime Video ‘to continue to invest in compelling content’
The greed and arrogance is sickening. @amazon#amazon #amazonprime #primevideo
— GarudaLead (@GarudaLead) December 28, 2023
For those who are not familiar, Amazon Prime is a subscription service that offers a wide range of benefits, including free two-day shipping, exclusive discounts, and access to other Amazon services like Prime Music and Prime Reading. Prime Video is also included with a Prime membership, and it offers a vast library of movies and TV shows for subscribers to watch.
Amazon’s email also mentioned that there will be no change to the current price of users’ Prime memberships, hinting that more features and programs may be added in the future for its Prime members.
Prime Video is not the only streaming service to introduce ads or raise subscription fees in recent months. Netflix announced a price hike in October, while Apple TV+ and Discovery+ also increased their subscription prices.
Other popular streaming services like Disney+, Hulu, Max and Paramount Plus also include ads on their cheapest subscription tiers. It seems that this trend is becoming more common as streaming platforms struggle to cover the cost of creating and acquiring high-quality content.
