Limited adverts will appear on the Prime Video streaming service from early February, as Amazon becomes the latest to turn to commercials to keep streaming profitable.
- Ad-free option will cost an extra £2.99 a month.
- Follows in the footsteps of services like Disney+, but doesn’t force the most expensive option on subscribers.
Amazon has confirmed viewers will begin to see “limited adverts” on the service from 5th February 2024.
For subscribers happy with seeing adverts, Amazon confirms no further action will be required – the service will automatically switch to the ad-funded option from the beginning of February.
Viewers will however need to take action to remain ad-free. That will require an upgrade to the ad-free option, which will cost £2.99 a month, on top of the regular Amazon Prime subscription cost of £8.99 a month.
Amazon’s decision to require users to actively upgrade to the more expensive, ad-free tier is in contrast to Disney+, who have in the past few weeks automatically moved users to its most expensive tier. Disney+ subscribers had to actively opt-out of moving to Premium, by choosing an alternative, cheaper price tier before their December bill.
Streaming services are currently struggling to stay profitable thanks to fierce competition and market saturation. The move to offer adverts is bad news for commercial broadcasters, now having to fight the streamers for limited ad revenue.
Amazon’s Prime Video has a growing library of series and movies, but has recently taken a step back from sports. UK subscribers will lose access to Premier League football from the 2025-2026 season. Meanwhile, its tennis coverage has moved to Sky Sports.