If you’re over on the other side of the pond, Amazon UK has begun informing customers they will see ads in Amazon Prime Video unless they pay more.
As revealed this past September, the streaming network has been planning to show what it calls “limited” advertising during shows and movies. At the time, the company only said it would “be introduced in US, UK, Germany, and Canada in early 2024.”
While there’s currently no set date for the US version, customers in the UK have begun receiving the following email notification as to when the ads will begin:
“Starting February 5, Prime Video movies and TV shows will include limited advertisements. This will allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time.
We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than ad-supported TV channels and other streaming TV providers. No action is required from you, and there is no change to the current price of your Prime membership.
However, there can be a change to the current price if users choose so. We will also offer a new ad-free option for an additional 2.99 [pounds Sterling, about $3.78] per month.
Live events, such as sports, and content offered through Amazon Freevee will continue to include advertising.”
The Amazon UK operation covers not only the United Kingdom itself, but also fulfils orders from related territories such as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, plus the entirely separate Republic of Ireland. The email notes that users in these regions “won’t see ads in their experience at this time.”
Amazon has also announced that it would introduce ads to France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia later in 2024.
Amazon’s move follows Netflix’s decision to drop its lowest-cost Netflix Basic option and replace it with a “Basic with Ads” version.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider