Amazon Prime Video is set to charge users if they do not want to see adverts on the streaming platform.
The home of shows such as The Grand Tour, Black Mirror, Top Boy, and Wildness will bring in adverts to all users from early 2024 — with Disney and Netflix also intending to take this route to add revenue.
“To continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time, starting in early 2024, Prime Video shows and movies will include limited advertisements,” a statement from Amazon reads.
“We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers.”
The advertisements will be introduced for the US, UK, Germany, and Canada in early 2024 but later in the year for France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia.
It will cost $2.99 per month extra to view without adverts, the equivalent of £2.44, although Amazon may yet confirm a different amount for British viewers.
Currently, Prime Video is available as a standalone monthly subscription for £6, while Prime — including all other services and faster deliveries — costs £9 per month or £95 per year.
“No action is required for Prime members,” the statement continues. “We’re not making changes in 2024 to the current price of Prime membership.
“We will email Prime members several weeks before ads are introduced into Prime Video with information on how to sign up for the ad-free option if they would like.”
Sport on Prime, such as the ATP Tour, US Open tennis, and Premier League, already has advertising and this is set to continue to be the case.
Amazon generated $9.5 billion (£7.6 billion) in advertising revenue during the first three months of the year, mainly thanks to ads purchased by sellers on its cavernous shopping site.
