Amazon is reportedly integrating three new ad formats into Prime Video that advertisers may run. Among them video pause ads, something that Google has also been experimenting with on YouTube.
Prime Video used to be advertisement free. This changed in early 2024 when Amazon launched ads for all Prime customers on its platform. Customers who do not want to experience ads while watching videos can pay Amazon extra, about $3 per month, to get rid of most ads.
Amazon’s integration of ads on Prime Video differed from that of its competitors. Netflix, Disney+, and most streaming services that integrated ads on their platforms have done so using extra plans.
Netflix customers, for example, can subscribe for $6.99 in the United States to access content with advertisement. The companies did not add ads to existing plans, however.
Amazon’s new ad formats
Amazon pushed ads to all existing subscribers. Soon, those who did not cancel their subscriptions or pay extra, may experience additional ad formats on the platform.
All three are displayed either when the viewer pauses playback or during commercial breaks.
The first displays advertisement when a user pauses video playback. Translucent graphics are displayed on the screen that display text and images, and also contain options to add items to the Amazon cart or to learn more.
Amazon calls the second new ad format trivia ads. These display information about a brand to the viewer, again with options to shop products or learn more about a product. Variety reports that this format may also be linked to rewards, which customers may get when they complete purchases.
The final ad format offers a carousel type of display. Advertisers may show multiple items to the viewer. These can be explored on Amazon’s site and also purchased.
Closing Words
Streaming video started out as an alternative to cable tv. In recent time, it is turning more into the products that it set out to replace. Ads and regular price jumps are just two changes that affect millions of subscribers around the world.
You may want to check out how you, as a customer, could react to this changing landscape.
What about you? Do you subscribe to streaming services?
I subscribed to Amazon Prime mainly for the streaming, but I found it way overpriced, do not ever want auto-billing of anything, and it became very hard to cancel to avoid the auto-bill. I had to use a customer service agent to do it the last time. Then the ads were added not long before my year of Prime was up. I decided not to renew and instead am trying Walmart Plus because it comes with Paramount+ and is cheaper. I do not make purchases on phones and would not make one on a TV screen at any time. I am not interested in advertisments and find them aggravating; I do all I can to never see one. Paramount+ would be good for the variety, but it has loading problems. Maybe a TV with a firestick instead of a Fire TV would be better. Now when trying to make an Amazon purchase, I am bombarded with $1.99 deal for a week of Prime and it can be very difficult to make the purchase – takes longer. However, I know how hard it has become to cancel Prime. And I think I am likely permanently done with Prime due to this kind of nonsense and ads.
I cancelled my Prime subscription when they announced a price hike. This was before they announced the ads for everyone program. Never had any problems cancelling, but maybe it is different in Germany.
I did accidentally subscribe for Prime couple a year ago. But that was a free first month promotion deal. I cancelled it in time without any problem.
I would also recommend learning a little bit about Ad Blocking filter syntax. It takes few minutes to block those regular Prime Promotions once you get basics. The Prime Promotion popup before finalizing order is almost impossible to block. I removed most of the ad, but I still have to click “No” to Prime and make sure that “Pay for Prime from refund” is unchecked.
No subscriptions at all here. The older I get, the less interested I am in television and such services. There are other good ways to spend your time. I won’t throw a penny down the throats of these greedy services that have long since lost all sense of proportion. In the end, they blackmail their users by bombarding them with advertising until they are prepared to pay more and more to stop being harassed. It’s the subscribers own fault!
It’s the world of the greedy. Unfortunately, far too many people fall for them instead of clearly showing them that they are going too far. The customer has the power, but they usually don’t use it.
I try to avoid subscriptions as well. I do subscribe for a month occasionally, if I’m really interested in a show or movie, but never longer than that. Also do not mind waiting months before starting to watch, long gone are the days that I needed to watch something the day it comes out.