Amazon to Launch Prime Video Plan With Ads, Report Says

Amazon is reportedly planning to launch an ad-supported tier of its Prime Video streaming service. During the past several weeks, the retail giant has been discussing a variety of options to introduce ads to Prime Video, according to a Wednesday report from The Wall Street Journal. 

Prime Video includes original TV shows and movies created by Amazon Studios as well as hundreds of other titles you can stream as part of your subscription. Prime Video subscribers can also add on subscriptions to HBO, Showtime, Starz and several other channels for an extra monthly cost. There are also movies and shows you can rent or buy on the platform.

Prime Video is included in an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $15 a month or $139 annually, or available as a standalone subscription for $9 a month. CNET’s review of Prime Video says it’s a “really great included perk” with a Prime membership, but that it’s a weaker standalone service compared with other options like Netflix and Hulu.

Netflix and Disney Plus both introduced ad-supported tiers to their services last year, joining most other major streaming services, like Max (perviously HBO Max) and Hulu, which offer a plan with advertising. Paramount Plus and Peacock are on the lower end, with ad-supported plans starting at $5 a month, while Max is on the higher end, with its ad-supported plan costing $10 per month.

It’s unclear how much a Prime Video plan with ads might cost. One option reportedly being discussed is adding ads for existing Prime Video subscribers, and offering a more expensive ad-free version. 

Amazon declined to comment on the report.

Amazon does have experience with ad-supported streaming, through Amazon Freevee. The streaming service, which was previously IMDb TV, doesn’t require a paid subscription and is supported by limited ads. It includes a mix of Amazon and Freevee originals as well as other movies and shows. There’s also a Freevee channel for Prime Video.

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