Prime Video Introducing Ads, Will Charge An Extra $3 To Bypass Them

Amazon has announced that Prime Video TV series and movies will feature advertisements going forward to help the company "continue investing in compelling content."

The ad rollout will begin in early 2024, and the ads will be "limited," Amazon said. The aim is for Prime Video to have "meaningfully fewer" ads than traditional linear TV, and also fewer than other streaming TV companies that feature ads. The ads will air in the US, UK, Germany, and Canada in early 2024 before coming to France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia later in 2024.

Prime memberships are staying the same ($15/month or $140/year), and no action is required for users as part of this change. But Amazon will allow members to skip the ads by paying an additional $3/month, and instructions on how to sign up for this ad-free version will be delivered "several weeks" before the ads begin to appear in 2024.

For comparison, Max's ad-free option costs $16/month and Netflix's ad-free tier costs $15.50/month. Prime Video's will be $18/month.

Amazon also confirmed that its live content, like Thursday Night Football, will continue to feature advertising like it always has.

Prime Video is known for acclaimed series like The Marvelous Ms. Maisel and The Boys, along with movies like the Nike film Air and the Oscar-winning movies Sound of Metal and Manchester by the Sea.