You’ve settled in for a movie night, popcorn in hand, only to be greeted by an unexpected ad break. It can be a bit of a surprise, especially if you’ve been a Prime member for years. You might be asking yourself, “Wait, why am I seeing ads on Amazon Prime?”
You’re not alone in wondering this. The experience of streaming has evolved, and Amazon has introduced a new tiered system for Prime Video. Let’s look at what changed and what your options are.
The Shift to a New Prime Video Plan
In early 2024, Amazon made a significant change. Instead of one single Prime membership that included ad-free video, they split the service. The standard Amazon Prime membership now includes a video plan that shows limited advertisements before and during streams. This change was made to help Amazon continue investing in popular shows and movies while keeping the overall Prime membership cost from rising more sharply.
What Does “Limited Ads” Actually Mean?
You won’t be bombarded with commercials every few minutes. Amazon has stated that these ads will be limited in number. You can expect to see them primarily before your content starts and occasionally during the stream. The goal is to make them less intrusive than traditional TV advertising, but their presence is still a shift from the completely ad-free experience many were used to.
How to Watch Without Any Interruptions
If those ad breaks are too disruptive for your viewing pleasure, there is a way to remove them. For an additional monthly fee, you can upgrade to the Prime Video No-Rush Rewards option. This is an add-on to your existing Prime membership that grants you completely ad-free streaming on all content. You can easily manage this subscription through your Amazon account settings.
Making Sense of the New Normal
Seeing ads on a service you pay for can be frustrating at first. It helps to know that this is part of a broader trend in the streaming world, as companies look for new ways to fund expensive original programming. The key takeaway is that you have a choice: accept the limited ads as part of your standard Prime benefit or pay an extra fee to return to a commercial-free experience.
While the introduction of ads might not be the news anyone wanted, understanding the reason behind it and knowing your options puts you back in control of your entertainment.
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