Amazon is doubling the number of ads and plans to add more commercials to Prime Video in 2025.
The news comes from the head of Prime Video International Kelly Day, who reported it Financial times that ads on the streaming platform would “increase slightly in 2025” as part of the company’s shift to ad-supported streaming.
Prime Video started showing ads to viewers on January 29, 2024, with anyone who didn’t want to see them having to sign up for a new, more expensive ($2.99 in the US and £2.99 in the UK), ad-free tier . like what Netflix did earlier this year when it cut subscribers off its old, cheap ad-free plan.
At the time, many, including myself, thought that introducing ads to one of the top streaming services would lead to a backlash from subscribers. But that has not proven to be the case, according to Day, as the user base remains stable.
That’s surprising considering Prime Video reportedly has more than 200 million monthly active users, but this isn’t the first time the established streaming services have proven us wrong – even Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing led to a spike in subscriptions.
“We know it was a bit of a contrarian approach to take things from us. But . . . it actually went much better than we expected,” Day said, adding that the number of cancellations was “much, much less than we expected. . . We haven’t really seen a groundswell of people opting out or canceling.”
How to get rid of ads on Prime Video
With more ads heading to Prime Video next year, you might be wondering if there’s a way to avoid them, and luckily there is. But it means you’ll either have to pay more – whether that’s to upgrade your account or buy an ad blocker – or cancel your subscription. If you’re considering this, here’s what’s involved:
1. Upgrade your account so you no longer see ads
(Image: © Amazon)
Unfortunately, the best way to keep ads from interrupting the best Prime Video shows and best Prime Video movies is to pay more. If you’re already subscribed to Prime Video, you can upgrade your account to ‘Ad-free’ on the Prime Video website by going to ‘Account & Settings’, selecting ‘Your Account’, then ‘Go Ad-Free’, followed by via ‘Start subscription’. You can also upgrade your account in the Prime Video app by going to ‘Settings’. However, you will still see promotional trailers for some content.
2. Install an ad blocker
(Image: © Pinone Pantone / Shutterstock)
This option isn’t entirely reliable, but it can be an effective way to block ads on Prime Video if you stream movies and shows from a device instead of your TV. Unfortunately, we haven’t tested all the best ad blockers with Prime Video to see which ones work best, but there are plenty to choose from.
3. Cancel your Prime Video subscription
(Image: © Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
While we don’t yet know the exact date that Amazon will introduce more ads on Prime Video in 2025, the process is quick and simple enough if the time comes and you’d rather cancel your subscription. To cancel your Prime Video subscription, go to ‘Account & Settings’ and then under the ‘Your Account’ tab, select ‘End Subscription’ or if your subscription is included with your Amazon Prime membership, select ‘ To process’.