Amazon introduces ads on Prime Video, offering ad-free option for a fee

Amazon Prime Video plans to introduce ads in early 2024 in the US, UK, Germany, and Canada, followed by other countries later in the year. The company will also offer a higher-priced ad-free tier, costing an additional $2.99 per month in the US. This move comes as the streaming industry faces a slowdown in subscriber growth since the pandemic. Netflix and Disney have also implemented similar measures to boost ad revenue. Amazon aims to have fewer ads than traditional TV and streaming providers and will continue to show ads on live event content, even for subscribers with the ad-free plan. The company does not disclose Prime membership numbers but is estimated to have 157.3 million subscribers in the US, making it the third-largest video-streaming platform after YouTube and Netflix.