Amazon to Insert Ads Into Prime Video Beginning Jan. 29

Amazon has apparently set a date for adding ads to its Prime Video content.

The company will begin introducing commercials to movies and TV shows for viewers in the U.S. beginning Jan. 29, Deadline reported, citing a letter to subscribers.

The change will come to customers in the U.K., Germany and Canada on Feb. 5, followed by France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia later this year.

The letter said Amazon is adding “limited advertisements” to allow Prime “to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time.”

Amazon told subscribers they can pay an extra $2.99 per month for the option to continue watching content without commercial breaks.

“We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers,” the company said.

Amazon first announced plans to bring ads to Prime Video in September, saying the move was designed “to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a longer period of time.”

Writing about the move Wednesday, PYMNTS noted that a number of streaming services have been embracing ads.

“Netflix, for instance, launched its ad-supported tier last year, though the tier’s underperformance earlier this year caused the platform to expand, seek more or different ad partners, adjust prices and innovate placements,” that report said.

“Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming subscription has seen its shift to ad-supported models helps drive revenue increases.”

Meanwhile, PYMNTS last week examined the ways streaming services are trying to monetize their content aside from subscription fees and ad sales.

For example, Disney+ is apparently exploring the addition of launching shopping options on its streaming service, while Amazon has begun offering recommendations of other products and services through its Prime Video X-Ray feature. 

And consumers don’t seem to mind paying extra for streaming services. According to “New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report — The Nonessential Spending Deep Dive Edition,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and LendingClub collaboration, 25% of respondents said that they spend indulgently on streaming services.