Commercials on Amazon Prime Video in 2024: Why They Appear and How to Minimize Them
As a long-time Amazon Prime subscriber, I‘ve noticed more advertisements popping up recently before my shows and movies. This contrasts with the ad-free experience I expect from a paid streaming service like Prime Video.
In this post, I‘ll use my expertise to explain the different types of ads you‘ll see, why Amazon includes them, and a few tips to try limiting interruptions while watching your favorite content.
A Breakdown of the Main Advertisements Shown to Viewers
Through research and firsthand experience, I‘ve identified four primary categories of commercials that play on Amazon Prime:
Trailers for other Prime Video content: Amazon heavily promotes its original series and licensed movies/shows. These trailers help introduce you to Prime‘s full catalog but can feel repetitive.
IMDb TV promotions: Amazon owns this free, ad-supported streaming service. So it runs IMDb TV ads on Prime Video to get more viewers.
Third-party subscription partner ads: Occasional ads from add-on channels like Showtime, which viewers can purchase through Prime. This helps Amazon earn revenue.
Traditional product/service ads: Reports indicate Amazon now also shows regular commercials for brands before select titles, just like regular TV.
Below I‘ve summarized key information about the frequency, length, and types of advertisements you can expect in each category:
| Type of Ad | Frequency | Length | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Video Trailers | Frequent, especially for newer releases | 15-30 seconds | Jack Ryan, The Boys |
| IMDb TV Promotions | Common | 15-30 seconds | Deadliest Catch, Chicago Fire |
| Partner Subscriptions | Occasional | 15-60 seconds | Showtime, Lifetime Movie Club |
| Product/Service Ads | Still uncommon but being tested | 15-60 seconds | Verizon, Coca-Cola |
So in total, anticipate seeing some form of video advertising every 10-20 minutes on average while streaming.
Why Does Amazon Include Ads Despite Being a Paid Service?
As an industry insider, I can share two driving factors behind Amazon‘s decisions:
1. Promoting their full content ecosystem: Prime Video offers a vast on-demand catalog spanning original programming, licensed shows/movies, and optional channel add-ons. By showing ads, Amazon wants to keep you engaged across all of these areas – meaning more time spent streaming and more subscription revenues.
2. Generating higher ad profits: Advertising is big business, with over $200 billion globally in streaming ad revenues expected by 2027. So Amazon clearly sees opportunity despite some user frustration over ads.
Essentially Prime Video is adopting an ad-supported mix akin to Hulu or Peacock rather than the fully ad-free models of Netflix and Disney+.
Tips to Limit Advertisements While Watching Prime Video
Unfortunately, Amazon doesn‘t offer clear controls to disable promotional ads from its own content or partners like IMDb TV. But by optimizing your settings, you can try reducing interruptions:
- Enable "Disable video autoplay" so trailers won‘t play without asking first
- Turn off "Interest-based ads" to avoid targeted product promotions
- Browse Prime Video through a web browser and use an ad-blocker extension
- Download titles for offline viewing – this typically skips most ads
I personally keep autoplay off and download my go-to comfort shows to minimize disruptions. But some ads will persist given Amazon‘s vested interest in promoting all of its streaming properties.
Is It Still Worth Paying for Prime with Ads Included?
In my opinion, yes – but Amazon should be more transparent. You gain unlimited access to an extensive on-demand library, acclaimed originals, plus all the usual Prime shipping and shopping benefits. Limited advertising is an acceptable compromise for most.
However, I believe Amazon needs to better communicate up front that ads are integrated across Prime Video in 2024. Some are caught very off guard by promotions appearing in the middle of their shows after expecting an ad-free experience.
In the end, weighing factors like content, price, and convenience, Amazon Prime likely still provides overall strong value to consumers. But explicit clarity around advertising would help subscribers better set their expectations.
Conclusion
Ads on Prime Video are increasing in variety, length, and frequency compared to past years based on their current streaming and e-commerce ambitions. But while unexpected, their presence remains limited enough for Prime to retain its appeal for on-demand streaming. Just utilize the tips above to minimize disruption. My hope is Amazon also institutes more formal disclosures about its ad strategies rather than confusing loyal fans.
What has your experience been with advertisements on Amazon Prime Video? Feel free to share any frustrations (or content recommendations!) in the comments below.
