Amazon brings ads to Prime Video.

In a blog post titled “An update on Prime Video,” the e-commerce giant said that users will see “limited ads” unless they pay an additional $3 per month on top of their Prime or standalone Prime Video subscription. Amazon plans to start showing ads in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Canada in early 2024. Users in France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia can expect to see ads later in the year.

"Prime members do not need to take any action. We will not be making any changes to the current Prime membership price in 2024," the company said. "We will send Prime members an email a few weeks before ads are introduced in Prime Video with information on how they can opt in to the ad-free option if they choose."

Amazon didn't specify exactly how many commercial breaks Prime Video users can expect, but noted, "We aim to have significantly fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers." In justifying the decision, the company said the additional revenue would allow it to "continue to invest in compelling content and grow that investment over a long period of time." It also cited the quality of the content in the Prime Video library, noting that Amazon Studios had its best Emmy Award season ever in 2023 after earning 68 nominations.