Amazon has begun, as of January 29, showing ads in their content to Prime Video users in the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Subscribers in the US who prefer an ad-free experience will need to pay an additional fee of $2.99 per month. This applies to both the full Amazon Prime package version and those subscribed only to Prime Video.
Will this additional fee be automatically applied?
The additional fee to go ad-free will not be automatically applied. Subscribers will receive an email notification in the weeks running up to the introduction of ads. Those who actively subscribe and provide the necessary details can enjoy an ad-free platform, with the charge automatically renewing each month, and can opt-out at any time.
If you choose to pay the additional fee, the cost of Prime Video without ads will increase as follows:
- Prime Video-only subscribers: from $8.99 per month to $11.98 per month.
- Full Amazon Prime subscribers: from $14.99 per month to $17.98 per month.
Prime Video content from Freevee and Channels will continue to have ads. Conversely, rented and/or purchased movies and series will not have ads under any circumstances. The $2.99 price applies in the United States, and the additional charge in other countries is yet to be confirmed.
This is the email Amazon has been sending: “Dear Prime Member, we are writing to you today about an upcoming change to your Prime Video experience. Starting January 29, Prime Video movies and TV shows will include limited advertisements. This will allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time. We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers. No action is required from you, and there is no change to the current price of your Prime membership.
We will also offer a new ad-free option for an additional $2.99 per month* that you can sign up for here. Prime Video customers have the option to pre-register for the monthly ad-free option, but won’t be billed until January 29.”
Prime Video, an Exclusive Amazon Service
Prime Video is a high-cost service for Amazon, involving an investment of $16.6 billion in 2022, with $7 billion allocated to original content. Led by Andy Jassy, the company has justified the introduction of ads as a way to continue investing in engaging content.
However, some subscribers have reacted negatively to this change, and the expectation in the industry is that most users will not pay the additional fee to avoid ads on the platform.
