If you’re a paid-up member of Amazon Prime and watch stuff on Prime Video, have you noticed anything different lately, such as more ads interrupting your viewing experience?
The video streaming service is now showing up to six minutes of ads per hour, double what it was showing when it introduced ads in January 2024, according to a report by AdWeek.
For those following such developments closely, the increase may not come as a big surprise as there were reports as far back as October 2024 suggesting that Amazon was planning to increase the number of ads on Prime Video during this year.
When Amazon launched ads nearly 18 months ago, the company made it an opt-out option. This meant that Amazon Prime subscribers who wanted an ad-free experience had to pay an extra $3 a month on top of their annual fee of $139 (or $15 a month).
The company said last year that it hadn’t seen a sharp drop in subscribers since it launched ads for the service, though with more ads now appearing before, during, and after shows on the streaming service, some disgruntled subscribers may be considering forking out the extra $3 a month to remove the ads, or taking the more drastic step of ditching the service altogether.
For Amazon, more ads should lead to an increase in ad revenue, allowing it to invest more money in content and technology that it hopes will lead to a better service for subscribers. The trick, of course, is to strike the right balance between ad frequency and keeping viewers engaged and satisfied with the service.
Amazon was slow to the game when it came to launching an ad tier for its video streaming service. Netflix introduced an ad-supported option in November 2022, while Disney+ did the same just a month later. Apple TV+ has yet to offer such a tier.
Prime Video currently has a heavier ad load than both Netflix and Disney+, though it’s still considerably lighter than regular TV. If there are any signs that Prime Video viewers are turning off due to excessive ads, you can bet that Amazon will respond accordingly.
