Prime Video adds more ads to its series and movies: how the change affects subscribers

Amazon Prime Video , Amazon's TV series and movie service, has been gradually changing the way it displays ads. Previously, they only appeared at the very beginning of the content, like a short ad before it started, but since January 2024, things have changed. Now, those with a basic subscription can also see ads during the movie or series , and to avoid them, they have to pay an extra €2 per month.

However, according to AdWeek , Amazon wants to show even more ads, increasing to between 4 and 6 minutes of advertising for every hour viewed . This new system is already being tested in the US and could soon be rolled out to other countries. The company says its intention is not only to show more ads, but also to make them more convenient and bearable .

But with this change, Prime Video is starting to look more like platforms like Hulu or Paramount+, which have more ads, and is moving away from others like Netflix , which has fewer ads . Meanwhile, other platforms like Disney+ or Max don't have ads for now, although that could also change.

The reason Amazon wants to put more ads

As explained in the aforementioned media, it's true that Amazon started with few ads, but the plan worked so well that now they want to make more money . More ads mean more space for brands to sell, which increases their revenue.

While the prices for these ads haven't been lowered yet, they're expected to soon because there's more space available. Even though Prime Video customers will see more ads, it's still less than traditional TV, where they watch between 13 and 16 minutes of ads per hour .

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