You’ve settled in for a movie night, popcorn in hand, only to be greeted by an unexpected commercial break. If you’re wondering why your Amazon Prime Video suddenly has ads, you’re not alone. This change has left many subscribers feeling a bit surprised. It’s a shift in how the streaming service operates, and it’s helpful to know exactly what’s happening and what your options are.
A New Tiers System for Prime Video
The simple reason you’re seeing ads is that Amazon introduced a new subscription model in early 2024. Instead of one standard Prime membership, there are now two main tiers for the video service. The default plan for most existing members became the ad-supported tier. This means that to help keep the cost of the overall Prime membership from rising significantly, Amazon now includes limited advertising in movies and shows. The ads typically appear before a video starts and occasionally during playback.
How to Remove Ads from Your Streaming
If the interruptions aren’t for you, there is a straightforward solution. Amazon offers an ad-free tier. For an additional monthly fee, you can upgrade your experience to skip commercials entirely. This is a separate charge on top of your existing Prime membership. To make the change, you can visit the “Prime Video” section of your Amazon account settings. Look for the membership management area, where you should see the option to switch to the ad-free plan. It’s a personal choice based on how much you value an uninterrupted viewing session.
What This Means for Your Prime Membership
It’s important to remember that your core Amazon Prime benefits—like free shipping, Prime Music, and photo storage—remain completely unchanged. This adjustment only applies to the streaming video portion of your subscription. The introduction of ads is a trend we’re seeing across the streaming world as services look for new ways to fund original content and keep subscription prices competitive.
While the arrival of ads on Prime Video was an adjustment, knowing the reason behind it and your options puts you back in control of your entertainment. You can choose to stick with the more affordable ad-supported plan or opt for a commercial-free experience for a premium.
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