Amazon Prime Video to show 4–6 minutes of ads per hour of content

Amazon Prime Video has begun integrating advertisements into its content starting June 17, marking a major shift for its subscribers. This move, driven by increasing competition in the video-on-demand space, is aimed at boosting revenue through ad placements.

According to a report by Adweek, Prime Video will now show between 4 to 6 minutes of ads per hour of content. For instance, a 3-hour movie could include up to 18 minutes of advertisements.

The announcement was first shared via email to subscribers on May 13, however, it did not specify the exact frequency or placement of these ads. Amazon emphasised that it would feature "meaningfully fewer" ads compared to traditional TV and rival streaming platforms.

To offer subscribers more control over their viewing experience, Amazon is providing an ad-free upgrade. Viewers in India can pay an additional Rs 129 per month or Rs 699 per year on top of their existing Prime membership (Rs 299 per month or Rs 1,499 per year) to remove these ads.

"We remain focused on prioritising ad innovation over volume and Prime Video will now include limited advertisements. While demand will continue to grow, our commitment is to improving ad experiences rather than simply increasing the number of ads shown. We will continue to invest in this important work, creating meaningful innovations that benefit both customers and advertisers alike," an Amazon spokesperson told afaqs!.

With this add-on, all Prime profiles linked to the account will stream content without commercial interruptions—although some titles may still display skippable promotional trailers.

Recently, Amazon India also introduced a Rs 5 marketplace fee on every customer order, inclusive of taxes. With a few category-level exemptions, this aligns Amazon with other e-commerce and quick commerce players like Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart, which have recently implemented similar charges.