Amazon announced in September that it would begin showing ads for Prime Video’s entertainment content. Now we have a date.
On January 29, ads will roll out for series and movies airing on the service in the US, UK, Germany and Canada. France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia will follow later this year.
The move was announced in a letter to subscribers detailing the introduction of so-called “limited advertising” so the service can “continue to invest in engaging content and grow that investment over time.”
Among the notes:
- No ads will appear on purchased or rented content.
- Customers in Guam, the US Virgin Islands, Guam and the Mariana Islands will not see ads.
Once frowned upon by streamers, a dual subscription advertising model—and the dual revenue streams that come with it—became the norm. As Amazon Prime introduces ads across its content portfolio, following the example of Netflix and Disney+ introducing ad tiers, Apple TV+ remains the only major streaming platform to use a subscription-only model.
This is the next step in Amazon’s advertising ambitions. The company has launched a major advertising offensive in recent years, both through live sports and ad-supported Prime Video platforms such as Freevee and Twitch. Although the $38 billion Amazon earned from advertising last year represents only a small portion of its total annual revenue of $502 billion, that quarterly revenue is growing more than 20%.
The text of the message is listed below.
We’re writing to you today about an upcoming change to your Prime Video experience. Starting January 29, Prime Video movies and TV shows will contain limited ads. This allows us to continue to invest in engaging content and grow that investment over time. Our goal is to show significantly fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers. No action is required on your part and the current price of your Prime membership will not change.
For an additional $2.99 per month*, we’re also offering a new ad-free option that you can sign up for here. Prime Video customers have the option to pre-register for the monthly ad-free option, but they won’t be billed until January 29.
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
