Users of Amazon Prime Video will start to see adverts on episodes and films in the early part of next year unless they pay a higher price to upgrade to an ad-free tier, the tech giant said on Friday.
Amazon roll out ads on Prime Video: Amazon’s initiative comes after rivals Netflix and Walt Disney made comparable announcements.
The number of new customers joining streaming services has been declining as the consumers cut back on leisure and other luxuries as a result of high inflation and interest rates.
The American tech giant announced that the commercials will debut in early 2024 in the US, the UK, Germany, and Canada, with France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia following later that year.
For an extra $2.99 a month, Amazon will offer a subscription tier that is ad-free. Currently, a US Prime subscription costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually.
The business stated that it would later disclose pricing for the other nations.
Even if a subscriber has paid for an ad-free plan, live event programming like sports will still contain advertising, according to Amazon.