Amazon has quietly increased the number of ads on Prime Video, leaving many subscribers frustrated. When ads first appeared last year, Amazon promised only 2 to 3.5 minutes of ads per hour. Now, new reports show that viewers are seeing 4 to 6 minutes of ads every hour.
Amazon didn’t tell users about this change. Instead, the company slowly raised the ad load without making an official announcement. Last year, an Amazon executive said ads would “ramp up” in 2025, but no details were given at the time.
Amazon told Ars Technica that Prime Video will still have “fewer ads than regular TV,” but many subscribers feel caught off guard.
Unlike other streaming platforms that offer clear ad-free and ad-supported plans, Prime Video added ads for everyone in 2024. The only way to remove ads now is by paying $2.99 per month extra on top of the regular Amazon Prime subscription.
At first, Amazon showed fewer ads to keep people from canceling. Now that viewers are used to them, Amazon has decided to add more.
Prime Video used to have one of the lightest ad loads in streaming. Now, experts say it’s in the “middle tier” compared to other platforms.
For now, if you want to watch without ads, you’ll have to pay more.
