For Brits, Sunday is the last day to enjoy Amazon Prime Video ad-free.
The streaming giant will release ads to all UK users on Monday (February 5), and those who don’t want to see them will have to pay an additional fee of £2.99 per month.
Amazon confirmed to MailOnline that they will appear before and during TV shows and movies, as well as on commercial TV channels.
In the United States, the ads reached Amazon Prime Video users less than a week ago (January 29), but they are already proving unpopular.
On X (Twitter), one frustrated user said: “I’ll watch less Prime Video.” Way to go, Amazon.’
Amazon’s move follows rivals Netflix and Disney+, both of which began rolling out ads to their cheaper subscription options in 2022.
On X (Twitter), a frustrated Amazon Prime Video user in Los Angeles said, “I’ll watch less Prime Video.” Way to go, Amazon
Another told the tech giant: “I said I was canceling Amazon Prime the first time you showed me an ad.” That’s exactly what I did.’
Amazon announced in September the decision to bring ads to its streaming platform, generating millions of dollars from advertisers.
Amazon’s move follows rivals Netflix and Disney+, both of which began rolling out ads to their cheaper subscription options in 2022.
“Prime Video movies and TV shows will include limited ads,” Amazon said in an email to customers.
‘This will allow us to continue investing in engaging content and continue to grow that investment over a long period of time.
‘Our goal is to have significantly fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers.
“There is no need for you to do anything and there is no change to the current price of your Prime membership.”
Customers in Germany and Canada will also receive the ads from Sunday, Amazon told MailOnline, while people in France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia will receive them later this year.
This means that customers in other countries, such as Ireland, will not receive ads on Prime Video for the time being, although this could soon change if the ad rollout expands further.
Tagging the official Prime Video and Amazon accounts, another posted: “I said I was canceling Amazon Prime the first time you showed me an ad.” That’s exactly what I did’
Amazon Prime Video users have to pay an additional fee or wait for frustrating ad breaks
Amazon Prime Video is one of the products that customers get when they subscribe to Amazon Prime, the tech giant’s paid subscription service.
Amazon said it won’t make any changes to Prime’s current price, so customers who don’t mind seeing ads when watching Prime Video won’t have to pay more money.
However, customers who do not want to see ads will have to pay an additional fee: £2.99 per month.
A Prime subscription in the US currently costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, or £8.99/£95 in the UK.
So Prime users who don’t want to watch ads on the streaming platform will pay just £12 – and that’s if they don’t spend more on movies that aren’t included in the subscription package.
Furious Prime users took to X to criticize the move, with one describing it as the “final nail” in the coffin of their subscription.
Another described Amazon executives as “clowns” who are “greedy beyond all comprehension.”
Another said: “Amazon Prime Video’s introduction of ads really validates my decision to cancel my Amazon Prime subscription this year.”
Traditionally, streaming platforms required a subscription fee or, in the absence of such a fee, displayed ads to generate revenue.
It used to be one or the other, not both, but this is changing rapidly thanks to giants like Netflix, Disney and Amazon.
Furious Prime users took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to criticize the move, with one describing it as the “final nail” in the coffin.
One X user described Amazon executives as “clowns” who are “greedy beyond comprehension”
Netflix’s ad-supported tier, ‘Basic with Ads’, launched in November 2022 and was originally an alternative option to the existing ‘Basic’ tier for £6.99.
However, in 2023, Netflix got rid of this Basic tier, which did not display ads, in an attempt to force users to opt into the ads option.
Similarly, Disney+ introduced a tier of advertising, first for US users in December 2022, and then in the UK and eight other European countries in November.
Disney+ also announced a crackdown on password sharing, following a similar move by Netflix, which aims to increase the number of new subscriptions.
WHAT ARE THE VIDEO STREAMING OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO UK CUSTOMERS?
Netflix
Price: £4.99/month (with ads) OR £10.99/month for Standard OR £17.99/month for Premium
Success programs:
Amazon Prime
Price: £8.99 per month OR £95 per year
Success programs:
- Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
- Boys
AppleTV+
Price: £8.99 a month
Success programs:
- Ted Lasso
- For all humanity
Disney+
Price: £4.99/month (with ads) OR £7.99/month for Standard OR £10.99/month for Premium
Success programs:
- The Mandalorian
- The Simpsons
NOW TV
Price: From £6.99 per month (6 months) or £9.99 (flexible)
Success programs:
- game of Thrones
- Chernobyl
hayu
Price: £4.99 per month
Success programs:
- keeping up with the Kardashians
- Made in Chelsea
BritBox
Price: £5.99 per month OR £59.99 per year
Success programs:
- spit image
- Midsomer Murders
Prices correct as of January 2024.