Amazon announced it will start running advertising during Prime Video shows and movies beginning early next year, joining other streaming services that have added different tiers of subscriptions.
Amazon Prime members can pay $2.99 more per month to avoid the ads, the company said Friday. That will be on top of the $139 annual membership fee, which includes Prime Video, free delivery, music streaming and access to other Amazon services. Prime Video is also available to purchase separately for $9 a month.
"We will email Prime members several weeks before ads are introduced into Prime Video with information on how to sign up for the ad-free option if they would like," the company said.
Amazon already shows ads on live events like NFL's Thursday Night Football, and will continue to do so even if the subscriber is paying for the ad-free plan, the company said.
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Amazon explained that "limited advertisements" are needed to help it “continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time.”
The company didn't say how long the ad breaks would be, only that they aim "to have meaningfully fewer ads" than traditional TV broadcasters and other streaming providers.
Amazon joins other streaming services — including Netflix and Disney — that sought to increase revenue by adding ad-supported tiers amid a decline in new membership.
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Ads in Prime Video content will roll out in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada in early 2024, followed by France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia later in the year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
