Amazon: just getting started with Prime Video ads, highlights interactive advertisement
Advertisement is slowly but steadily taking over streaming. Previously, you subscribed to streaming services to get an ad-free experience. Now, you pay to get an experience that includes ads at its core, unless you pay extra.
While services like Netflix or Disney+ give its customers options, pay less and get ads when using the service, or pay more and get no ads, Amazon took a different route. It enabled ads for all Prime Video subscribers. Those who did not want to see ads had to pay for an add-on to remove them again, or cancel their subscription.
Now, Amazon is working on bringing new ad formats to Prime Video. The report comes from Broadband TV News, a UK-based magazine.
Amazon plans to launch three new formats for viewers in the UK. Some of these are already used in the United States, and there is a good chance that they will come to other regions in the near future.
Here are the three new formats:
- Interactive ads: this advertisement includes an interactive element that allows watchers to add an item shown in the ad to their Amazon shopping basket.
- Pause ads: whenever the viewer pauses a stream, an ad is shown on the pause screen.
- Carousel ads: may show different products or features. Users may scroll through them using their remote.
Amazon is pushing the integration of its core business with Prime Video to increase margins. Subscribers who do not want these have just a few, legal, options to deal with it. Either pay extra to get rid of advertisement on Amazon Prime or unsubscribe. Clearly, the move is going to drive some subscribers to taking a liking to free options that may not be legal in all regions.
Closing Words
Amazon is clearly not done yet regarding ads on Prime Video. Subscribers should expect more and different ad formats going forward. It is probably only a matter of time before true interactive ads launch that display adverts for products shown or used in TV shows or movies.
Want that watch that James Bond is wearing? It is yours with just a few taps on the remote. With all the product placement going on already, it will be the next logical step.
Now You: do you stream media regularly? If so, with or without advertisement? Would new ad formats or the introduction of ads change your stance on streaming media? Feel free to write a comment down below.
Make more profit! More, More, YES MORE! Amazon increased its profit last year by 14,85% no less: https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/AMZN/amazon/gross-profit But that’s not enough is it.
Yes, lets make the rich even richer so that they can have their little ‘burn parties’ on the beach (physically burning piles of $100 notes while giving the rest of us the middle finger).
I seldom buy anything on Amazon these days and never subscribed to Prime Video. But I notice on Amazon UK that more and more DVDs have been dispensed with so that if you want to watch a movie, you’ll have to subscribe to Prime. Not gonna happen baby!
I understand when you watch ads and that’s why you don’t pay.
I understand when you pay and that’s why they don’t show you ads.
But it’s ridiculous when you pay and have to watch ads.
Ar yar, ahoy!
Want that watch that James Bond is wearing?
Be interesting if the actual watch will be different for different target audiences… oops, should have patented that idea :)
on the topic of Amazon.
They are going cloud-only for their Echo pretty soon.
Now all voice will go to cloud. Whatever the official reason, you can pretty much count on that being used for “AI” training, voice fingerprinting, etc. The terms are likely already being updated to give them permission for all that.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-on-march-28/
We currently have Netflix and Disney.
If we start seeing ads we will cancel them and pirate the content instead.
The fact that people tolerate this kind of abuse amazes me.
Disney+ is showing ads even in Ad-free plan. Hulu does the same. “No ads” plans are going to be extinct within this year. None of the services can make profit without ads. And even if some customers are willing to pay though the roof for add free, it makes them even more desirable target for advertisers.
I disagree, but maybe it’s just me who does this. . If advertising p…s me off, I get angry at the brands who let their product be pushed down my throat and shop elsewhere if possible.
You may not have a choice of streaming service without ads. They all moving in the same direction. As all car companies are moving in the direction of subscriptions for “premium” features. And game companies are moving in the direction of in game ads (product placements and none skippable ads between levels).
While I prefer life without ads, just like you, I have some technical know how to avoid them for most parts. And I never buy stuff from ads. All targeting data they have for me is pointless, if for example I hide all “sponsored” items on Amazon and Walmart. Or never use my phone for shopping while watching TV ads (avoid immediate gratification). So you do not need to be pissed off by ads. Get satisfaction in the fact they can not influence your buying derisions and that they’re just wasting their money on you.
Obviously, they think programs without advertising are a better product of they would not charge premium for it.
You can’t help but wonder how many idiots will confirm Amazon’s decision by buying direct from Amazon advertising!
Yes, streaming without ads have greater value for the customers, but streaming with ads have better value to streaming service. Netflix and Hulu are two services that reliably making profit in the last couple of years, and the vast majority of this profit comes from ad supported accounts.
Amazon did report on synergy between ads in Prime Videos and shopping on Amazon, and that they would not have video streaming service if they could not could convert some viewers into more frequent shoppers. But Amazon did not post any actual data on it.
More Linux news, please. ^_^
I don’t stream only when I use Comcast’s On Demand, and that is often disastrous, with the video breaking up. Once the movie quit after an hour and ten minutes, and I couldn’t get it back. No. I don’t want to pay for streaming. I don’t want to pay for cable either. I am now limited to one night a week of television shows that are worth watching. If I didn’t want news channels, I’d turn off the tv forever.
BTW, who is writing the Agencies Ghacks articles? AI?
Speaking of comcast,… They disable foward and backward functions for sake of ads. You can not forward through the beginning of the show during the intro that is replayed before each show starts. The real issue is if you need to see something missed it allows you to try and replay but first you have to watch the last 3 minute commercial break AGAIN! Further the program guide is often incorrect as to the actual show currently playing.
Awesome how they take rediculous amounts of the people money to force ads. Make no mistake big companies are at war against all people. Because we have begun refusing subscription based products they decided to make electronics obsolete within a few short tests. First phones then tablets and now the coalition began between microsoft and hardware manufacturers to force us to buy again should we want windows 11.
Cars now all are having screen displays, what happens when they drop support? Simply buy a new one? Why do the courts support and uphold the companies doing such things? Why are they defending and supporting Tne Peoples interests and rights for the goods we slave so hard to purchase.
Change comes from buying what we can from small businesses as they do not have the financial power the big companies have to influence elections and easy to corrupt officials.
Wishing all The People the very heartfelt best!
“Cars now all are having screen displays, what happens when they drop support? Simply buy a new one? ”
When buying a car, research not only car itself but financials of car manufacturer too. A lot of fixes now are done though software updates. But what will happen when car manufacturer is gone out of business? Who is going to update software? This happened to Fisker owners. Fisker could not maintain software. So the leasing company that bought Fisker assets had to pay additional money to port Fisker software into their own. It’s a mess. I do not know what is going to happen if a major software bug is found that for example could cause emergency breaking not to work. It’s a leasing company, not an engineering company, who owns those cars now. And how expensive repairs now that parts have to be cannibalized from bricked cars.