Well, get ready for some commercials. On Friday, Amazon announced it will no longer be ad-free. Starting in 2024 (no exact date disclosed), the company’s streaming service will add commercials.
Next year, Prime Video service will feature limited ads. The company said the ad tier will be the default option for Amazon Prime memberships, along with free shipping, Amazon Music, and other perks, The Hollywood Reporter reported, adding that the company said the price for a regular subscription will not go up. But if watching TV without commercials is your thing, be prepared to pay the $2.99 per month upcharge to keep that luxury with the platform.
Ads aren’t new to streaming platforms. Netflix, Disney+, and Warner Bros. Discovery Max have also switched sides to increase their revenue streams through advertisement. Other popular streaming services like Hulu and Peacock have had commercials from the beginning.
Still, Amazon vows to have “meaningfully fewer” commercials compared to linear TV, the outlet added. By adding on ads, the company will be able to keep investing in programming, notably live sports programming like NFL Thursday NightFootball, which runs up to $1 billion per year.
Viewers in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Germany can expect to see commercials rolling out early next year. And those in Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, and Australia later in 2024.
