Amazon Prime Video is no longer ad-free unless you pay extra

After paying for a Prime Video subscription, you’ll have to shell out more to remove advertisements, as Amazon is rolling out changes to their premium video service.

Amazon had earlier announced that it would introduce ads to Prime Video, though didn’t reveal when. Now we have the date: Starting January 29, Prime Video will not be ad-free.

The company sent an email to subscribers explaining the policy change. It said that limited advertisements while streaming movies and shows will let the company “continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period.”

“We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers,” Amazon said in its email. “No action is required from you, and there is no change to the current price of your Prime membership.”

Those looking to continue the ad-free experience must shell out an additional $2.99 monthly over and above the current plan. Prime Video customers can pre-register for the monthly ad-free option, but won’t be billed until January 29.

Amazon says these ads will be relevant to the users, and Prime Video will “have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers.”

The email further lists many benefits the users will continue to enjoy to ensure they do not unsubscribe. However, apart from forcing its decision and additional cost, Amazon has not offered any solace to the users.

Like it or hate it, ads are all over

Adding advertisements is not the first such move by Amazon. It has already been criticized heavily for forcing subscribers to pay extra as “rent” to watch the most famous titles on the platform.

However, the company is banking on the additional revenue much like other platforms – Hulu, Disney+, Max, and Paramount Plus all include advertisements.

Netflix also resisted the urge. However, it also gave in recently and introduced an ad-supported tier. Apple TV+, on the other hand, is the only major streaming platform that is still ad-free.