It’s only been a few months since Amazon added ads to its Prime Video streaming service – unless you pay an extra $2.99/£2.99 per month on top of your subscription (Australian viewers are spared for now). Now it’s about to get even worse.
Amazon has revealed that three new types of ads will appear on its service: carousel ads, pause ads and trivia ads – all aimed at getting your ad from Prime Video to Amazon’s main digital store.
Starting with the carousel format, when you encounter an ad break on Amazon, you may see this option, which allows advertisers to showcase different products through a “sliding lineup.” It automatically pauses when you interact with it, and resumes pausing when the interaction ends.
Next up are pause ads – the kind Hulu has had since 2019 and recently added to YouTube. Instead of appearing when Amazon has scheduled an ad break, break ads appear when you choose to pause your show or movie. Amazon’s versions link to products in the store and even give you the option to add to cart if you’re interested in purchasing it.
Finally, trivia ads will tell you facts about a product and give you the chance to earn rewards by completing certain tasks, such as purchasing what is being advertised.
The only saving grace is that these ads aren’t appearing in Prime Video yet, but Amazon has highlighted them ahead of an upcoming “upfront,” in which TV networks sell commercial space to advertisers. And if advertisers are interested, you’ll likely start seeing these types of ads on Prime Video very soon — that is, if you choose to stay subscribed and not switch to another top streaming service.
Is it time to give up Prime?
Not only are Amazon Prime Video’s ads annoying — they absolutely ruined the Invincible Season 2 viewing experience for me when I caught up with the show recently, as each episode had several ad breaks that disrupted the flow — they’re also kind of creepy.
Assuming you’ve saved your details to your Amazon Prime account (such as your payment method and address), these shopping ads provide an unparalleled opportunity to be promoted by an advertiser’s clothing and have it delivered to your door in just a few clicks send. without the time to think about whether you really need the product.
I’ve already decided that I’m canceling my Amazon Prime subscription after just a month, and I recommend you do so too once you’ve caught up on the shows you most wanted to watch.
Yes, if you pay for a full Prime subscription you lose access to other benefits that come with it, but how often do you use them?
No one uses Amazon Photos in place of the more convenient services that Apple and Google offer on your smartphone; Amazon Music plays fifth fiddle to all the other best music streaming services out there; you’re not browsing the Amazon Read library looking for your next book recommendation; and most of you probably don’t even know what a Twitch Prime sub is or does, or even that you have one.
Next day delivery can be convenient, but how often is it actually more convenient or cheaper than simply picking something up from your local store, and how many times have you ordered something on Prime to just have your subscription feel more affordable – even if you had the product is not really needed at that moment.
Just cancel your subscription now, and when the next big series comes out (or once a few big series have come out), pay for just a month and eat them all. You’ll save a lot of money and avoid a lot of terrible, terrible ads.