Amazon has increased Prime Video’s ad load to 4-6 minutes per hour, up from an initial 2-3½ minutes when the ad-based subscription tier launched in January 2024. When Amazon introduced ads on Prime Video, it said it aimed to have “meaningfully fewer ads” than rivals. However by by late 2024, the company had already told investors it would “ramp up” the volume in 2025.
Netflix's ad-supported tier currently offers the lightest ad experience, while Hulu, Tubi, and Paramount+ carry heavier loads. At the moment, Prime Video sits in the middle, but I don't imagine that Amazon will settle for anything but first place. Classic Ricky Bobby mentality.
This was one of my 2025 Predictions from our annual report:
“Amazon Prime Video will look to see just how far it can push viewers with ads before they either cancel or upgrade to an ad-free experience (which I'm confident will also go up in price next year).”
It seems that Amazon has already started down that path.
The question is — where will it stop?
The answer depends on how many ads Prime Video viewers are willing to endure before spending the $2.99/month to upgrade to the ad-free experience, which used to be included free as part of your general Prime subscription. I guarantee Amazon won't stop until it breaks you.
I'm still waiting for the class-action lawsuit against Amazon by Prime members who paid for an annual membership pre-Jan 2024 that included an ad-free video experience, only to have the benefit stripped away without warning. Why hasn't anyone sued Amazon over this? They certainly deserve it. Feels like a slam dunk case.
The other half of my prediction was that Amazon increases the cost of its ad-free experience in 2025. Who's going to bet against me?