Amazon Prime is the latest paid-for streaming service to introduce a second-tier, meaning some customers will see “limited” adverts from 5 February this year.
The move will mean that Amazon Prime customers in the UK and Germany will need to pay an additional £2.99 a month to avoid seeing unlimited adverts.
Streaming rivals Netflix and Disney have both offered cheaper options with adverts in an effort to win over more customers.
In an email to customers sent out this week, the tech giant said the move will “allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time.”
“We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than ad supported TV channels and other streaming TV providers. No action is required from you, and there is no change to the current price of your Prime membership,” it continued.
“We will also offer a new ad-free option for an additional £2.99 per month.”
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest marketing news sent straight to your inbox each morning
You pay for a service.
They say hi,
I know you pay for this,But we’re not giving it to you anymore,
We’ll still take your money,
But if you want what you used to have…You must pay more. pic.twitter.com/9Dtkg7bhhw
— Jme (@JmeBBK) January 3, 2024
Amazon Prime have announced they will be introducing ads. Customers who wish to opt out will have to pay an extra £2.99 on top of the £8.99 subscription. At an earlier press conference, senior executives denied profiteering pic.twitter.com/UlJPTjP6f8
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) January 3, 2024
A YouGov poll in October last year, which was conducted following Amazon’s original announcement that it would charge for viewing without adverts, found that the majority of Amazon Prime users already feel bombarded by ads.
As well as video streaming, Amazon Prime membership includes faster delivery and access to special deals plus various other perks – however, whether this will deter users from quitting the service remains to be seen.
