Ads to Arrive on Prime Video This January
By Movieguide® Contributor
Amazon Prime Video has let its subscribers stream ad-free content since its launch in 2006, but that will change in January.
“On January 29, commercials will be introduced to series and movies airing on the service in the U.S., UK, Germany and Canada,” Deadline reported, “That will be followed by France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia later in the year.”
Amazon believes that introducing “limited advertisements” will allow Prime to maintain and improve its streaming content for years to come.
These ads only apply to streaming, so purchased or rented content will not have ads. Clientele in Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Mariana Islands are excluded from the ad launch.
“Once frowned upon by streamers, a dual subscription-ad model — and the dual revenue stream that comes with it — has become the norm,” Deadline wrote. “With Amazon Prime adopting ads across its entire content portfolio on the heels of Netflix and Disney+ introducing ad tiers, Apple TV+ remains the only major streaming platform to employ a pure subscription model.”
Movieguide® reported:
While the introduction of ads on these sites was controversial, given years of insistence that commercials would never be part of their business, ads have proven successful for all who have made the change…
Viewers will have to pay an additional $2.99 per month on top of their current Amazon Prime subscription to continue to enjoy the service without ads.
The Verge reported, “The monthly cost of Amazon Prime itself isn’t changing, but if you want to preserve the same experience you have today starting on January 29th, you’ll end up paying more.”
Right now, Amazon Prime costs $14.99 a month, or $139 a year, while Prime Video alone costs $8.99 a month. With the new price for ad-free streaming, Prime will cost $17.98 per month, while standalone Prime Video will cost $11.98.
Prime’s ad-free streaming “was fun while it lasted,” Popverse writer Graeme McMillan notes.
- Content: +3Share:
- Content: +4