Amazon Prime Video could be the next streaming platform to introduce ad-supported content, following in the footsteps of major rivals such as Netflix, Disney+ and Max.
The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, although at this time Amazon has neither confirmed nor denied the reports. However, if ads are introduced, how will this affect the current prices and content of the platform?
Here’s what we know so far. You can also check out everything we know about the end of password sharing on Netflix.
Is there a release date for Amazon Prime Video ad-supported tier?
No release date for the allegedly ad-supported tier was mentioned in the report, just that Amazon was in the “early stages” of planning.
The company declined to comment on the report to The Verge.
How much could the ad-supported tier of Amazon Prime Video cost?
A key takeaway from the report is that Amazon is evaluating the idea of integrating ads into its current Amazon Prime subscription (priced at $14.99/£8.99 per month) and making viewing ad-free. either a more expensive tier or an additional cost. per month.
From a business perspective, this might make sense, given that the ad-free price of some competing subscriptions is higher than Amazon’s full Prime subscription, which also offers free shipping, access flash sales and more.
On the other hand, it would be infuriating for subscribers, who have seen a barrage of price increases from other companies.
Tech Radar pointed out that it’s possible to simply embed the ads into the standalone Prime Video subscription, which costs $8.99 a month in the US and isn’t currently available in the UK. However, it may depend on the popularity of this service.
The exact price of an ad-free tier isn’t known, but generally a price jump of $5/£4 per month seems around the average cost on other platforms. Of course, this is all just speculation. We should hopefully find out more in the coming months.
What could ads on Prime Video imply?
The article says Amazon wants the ads to be “short,” but the exact time is unknown. For reference, Max offers three to four minutes of commercials per hour, while Disney aims for an average of four minutes.
WSJ also claims that this level would offer other features besides ad-free viewing. Although we don’t know the specifics, it could follow Netflix and Max’s models and split content into different streaming qualities – with 4K content only available on the highest tier. Alternatively, premium users can get TV shows and movies not available on standard tiers.
What about Amazon Freevee?
Amazon already has another ad-supported service called Freevee, which is a free ad-supported platform for everyone (not just Prime subscribers), with a curated selection of content.
However, Amazon will likely want to keep its biggest shows (The Boys, Good Omens and The Rings of Power) behind a paywall – so we doubt there’s any chance of those moving to Freevee.
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