If you hated Prime Video ads before, you won’t like Amazon’s latest announcement

Summary

• Prime Video now offers interactive, shoppable ads for brands to engage with customers on a new level.
• Ad-free streaming is available for $3 extra per month, but new interactive ads claim to boost engagement.
• Amazon reported significant growth in ad revenue, with a monthly reach of over 200 million globally.

Amazon followed in the footsteps of streamers like Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, Crave, and more in adding ads to its Prime Video Streaming platform. The e-commerce giant first made the announcement regarding ads on Prime Video in late December 2023, and the ads first started appearing in late January through early February 2024. Currently, Prime users that want to avoid ads can pay an extra $3 per month to go ad free. Advertisers normally stick to a 30-second or less ad format, which, albeit vexing, doesn’t necessarily call for paying extra. Now, however, Amazon is planning to take things to a whole new level of promotional annoyance.

As shared by the Seattle, Washington-based e-commerce giant in a new blog post (via The Verge), it is introducing a new range of ads for Prime Video that will be “interactive and shoppable,” and include shoppable carousels, interactive pause ads and interactive brand trivia ads. “We are developing innovative experiences to help brands better engage with customers, as we work to transform streaming advertising through our differentiated combination of reach, first-party signals and ad tech,” said Alan Moss, vice president of global ad sales for Amazon Ads.

Shoppable carousels will pop up during ad breaks, where brands would be able to display a sliding lineup of their products that link to Amazon. If you interact with the shoppable carousel, it will automatically pause the ad, and resume play when interaction has stopped.

Similarly, when viewers pause the show or movie they’re watching on Prime Video, a new translucent ad with the associated “brand messaging and imagery” will appear alongside “Add to Cart” and “Learn More” buttons. This goes away as soon as the viewer resumes the content they were watching.

Alas, there’s also brand trivia ads where advertisers can share factoids about their brand and help viewers learn about the brand’s services and products. There’s also rewards like Amazon shopping credits in the mix “with the purchase of eligible items.”

Pay the price if you upgrade, pay the price if you don’t

Amazon says that according to its research, interactive ads on Prime Video boost the related advertiser’s engagement more than non-interactive ads, “driving 10X more product page views and conversions.” However, how that impacts the user experience and satisfaction remains a mystery. The e-commerce giant also claimed that it has a monthly ad-supported reach of over 200 million globally, and with such a huge number, it is surely raking in that advertisement dough.

As shared by Ars Technica, Amazon’s Q1 2024 earnings boasted 24% percent year-over-year growth for the company’s ad business, with a majority of the money coming from its retail business and some from Prime Video.

Only time will tell if the new ad formats will enhance or degrade the user experience. If you’re like me, and want nothing to do with ads, you can follow the steps below to upgrade to Prime Video’s ad-free tier.

1. Open the Prime Video app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Select your profile if needed to go to the home page.
3. Tap the blue AD icon near the upper-right corner.
4. Tap the Send me an email message button.
5. Tap the Dismiss button to return to the home page.
6. You’ll receive a Prime Video email from Amazon with a link.
7. In that email, tap the Continue signing up button.
8. Sign in with your Amazon account as needed.
9. Confirm that your payment information and billing address are correct.
10. Tap the Start subscription button at the bottom of the page.
11. Your Amazon Prime Video account is now free of all ads.