Another Major Streamer Putting Ads In Movies And Series
Remember when streaming meant that you could pay a premium and circumvent advertisements? Well those days are long gone according to Deadline, who have reported that Amazon is the next streaming giant to implement ads on its platform.
Amazon is just one of many companies to implement a dual subscription ad-model, and by early 2024, Prime Video viewers will experience some form of advertising with their content along with the $14.99 fee they’re currently paying for the service.
We can’t help but scratch our heads and wonder if streaming is becoming the next cable. But if you want to watch content on Amazon without ads, there is another way to circumvent the commercial interruptions: paying more money. Once this initiative rolls out, Prime members can pay an additional $2.99 to continue enjoying ad-free content while they stream.
Some viewers may not take issue with watching an advertisement between movies, but if Amazon’s ads happen in the middle of a film, we could reasonably assume that customers will pay the extra fee to watch movies uninterrupted like God intended.
But if you’re worried that your Prime account will be affected on other fronts, you can sleep easy. If you’re paying $14.99 for Prime just for the free shipping, then you have nothing to worry about. If you want to watch a movie or a TV series without ads, you’ll have to pay a little extra.
With new Amazon ads and fees comes an explanation, and Amazon has explained that the introduction of ads will allow them to continue investing in content. If the intent is to deliver more quality programming, then the occasional ad before a movie is a small price to pay if there’s plenty more where that came from.
It’s also worth noting that at the time of this writing, we’re not sure how Amazon will approach the delivery of ads into the viewing experience.
On the sports front ads make sense, because if Amazon is streaming live football telecasts, then naturally there’s time between game play that is reserved for ads on linear cable. But in the case of TV series and movies, it remains to be seen how intrusive the ads will actually be.
Once this initiative rolls out, Prime members can pay an additional $2.99 to continue enjoying ad-free content while they stream.
Some viewers may not take issue with watching an advertisement between movies, but if Amazon’s ads happen in the middle of a film, we could reasonably assume that customers will pay the extra fee to watch movies uninterrupted like God intended.
As streaming companies continue to restructure in a way that’s profitable, it makes sense that Amazon is implementing an ad-supported tier like Netflix and Disney+ have recently done. Considering how much revenue Amazon has made from running ads on affiliate platforms like Freevee and Twitch, it’s the the right move to make financially.
Recent years have made it clear that struggling streaming giants across the board are trying to figure out how to bolster revenue through offering a dual-subscription model, and as viewing audiences are ditching their cable boxes in favor of streaming, the ad revenue needs to be earned somewhere.
Starting in early 2024, Amazon Prime Video subscribers will have ads in their streaming programming unless they pay for a more expensive subscription tier.
As of this writing, Apple TV+ is the only streaming platform that strictly has a pure subscription model without ads. Amazon will be rolling out their ads in the US, UK, Germany and Canada in early 2024, and will start implementing them more broadly in international markets later in the year.
As it currently stands, we have two options: succumb to the commercials that we once freed ourselves from, or continue to avoid them for a nominal fee.
