Get ready for ads on Amazon Prime Video, with the e-tailing giant finally pinning a date when commercials will land on the formerly ad-free streaming service.
Amazon’s move to sprinkle ads on Prime Video wasn’t a big shock—after all, everyone else is rolling out “with ads” tiers, too. What is a tad surprising is that instead of giving existing subscribers a new and cheaper with-ads option, Amazon is asking current Prime Video users to pay more to turn off the commercials.
So, when exactly are ads coming to Prime Video, and how much will it cost to keep the ad-free Prime Video experience? Here’s what you need to know.
Amazon Prime Video with ads: Your questions, answered
When will ads arrive on Prime Video?
Without further ado, here’s when ads will lane on Prime Video: January 29, 2024.
Amazon initially announced back in September that ads would be coming to Prime Video, but it didn’t reveal the exact date until very recently.
How much will Prime Video with ads cost?
Well, the price of Prime video with ads will be exactly what Amazon Prime members are paying right now: $14.99 a month, or $139 a year.
That price includes all other Prime benefits, such as free shipping for products purchased on Amazon, free Amazon Fresh grocery deliveries, Amazon Music, unlimited Amazon Photo storage, Prime Gaming, Prime Reading, and more.
Looked at another way, current Amazon Prime Video viewers will soon be paying the same amount for what was formerly an ad-free viewing experience.
How much will it cost to turn off the ads on Prime Video?
Want to keep Prime Video ad-free? If so, it’ll cost you an extra $2.99 a month, in addition to the standard $14.99/month price of a Prime membership.
You can “pre-order” the ad-free version of Prime Video now, prior to the January 29 arrival of ads on the service.
Aren’t there already ads on Prime Video?
Yes, some Prime Video content already comes with ads, namely Thursday Night Football and other live sporting events. It’s also worth noting that if you pony up for the ad-free version of Prime Video, you’ll still see commercial breaks during TNF and live sports.
Amazon also has its Freevee ad-supported streaming service, but strictly speaking, that’s not part of Prime Video.
Which countries will be getting Prime Video with ads?
Initially, Prime Video with ads will launch in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada, with France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia to follow “later in the year.”
While Prime Video with ads is coming to most of the U.S. starting January 29, there are a few U.S. territories where it won’t go live yet, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
How many ads will Prime Video be showing?
Will there be ads in video content that you’ve rented or purchased?
Nope, the commercials are only for streaming Prime Video titles, not for specific (streaming) TV shows or movies that you’ve bought or rented on Amazon.
Why are ads coming to Prime Video?
Amazon is adding commercials to Prime Video for the same reason all the big streamers are: more revenue. Wall Street has been demanding profitability from the big streaming services, and offering cheaper, ad-supported tiers is an easy way to boost income.
Indeed, Amazon is late to the “with ads” party. Max debuted HBO Max “With Ads” (back when it was still called “HBO Max”) more than two years ago. Netflix finally went the ad-supported way in November 2022, while Disney+ teed up its own ad-supported tier a month later.
That leaves Apple TV+ as the only big streamer without an ad-supported tier, but many expect Apple to roll out a cheaper Apple TV+ “with ads” plan sooner or later.
