Another big Prime Video change is happening today
This may make you want to switch streaming service...
We tend to focus more on positive stuff at Shortlist, but today there’s a bit of bad Prime Video news that can’t go without a nod.
Amazon is to start showing ads on the service from today, February 5, in the UK. This is off the back of the streamer adding ads to the US version of the site 29 January.
We were told about this news back in September 2023, but that doesn’t quite take away the sting. Amazon says this charge is to make sure it can "continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing investment over a long period of time.”
Does it also mean Prime Video is no longer the top bargain in streaming?
You have to pay an additional £2.99 to avoid the ads. This add-on is called Prime Video Ad Free, and you can sign up for that over at the Account & Settings part of the Prime Video website.
If you can’t bear the ads, this means you’ll end up paying £8.98 for Prime Video on its own, or £11.98 for the full Prime membership.
These ads arrive in the UK a week after they were introduced in the US, on January 29.
Prime Video is one of the last services to fall to the tidal wave of ads. Netflix with Ads was introduced in 2022, Disney Plus ads came in late 2023. And Sky’s NOW just sort of sneakily snuck them in before offering a way out of them as part of its £6-a-month Boost upgrade, which also bumps streaming quality from 720p to 1080p.
This move caused quite a fuss on social media when it rolled out in the US but, the UK grumbles may surface when those ads start to appear.
Amazon says these ads are “limited” meaning they’re less prolific than you’d see on a standard commercial TV station or a freebie streaming service. However, you can expect to see ads before playing any piece of content.
