Amazon Doubles Ads in Prime Video

If you’ve found yourself gritting your teeth through an increasing number of ads on Amazon Prime Video, you’re not alone. Recent reports from AdWeek reveal that Amazon has quietly upped its ad game, doubling the number of ads shown between your favorite movies and TV shows in the past year.

Back in early 2024, Amazon initially launched ads on its streaming service with commercial breaks lasting between 2 and 3.5 minutes per hour. Fast forward to today, and advertisers have been notified that these breaks have inflated to 4 to 6 minutes per hour.

Surprisingly, Amazon hasn’t seen a mass exodus of subscribers since rolling out ads, but the real test comes in how much ad bombardment viewers are willing to endure in the future.

So why the sudden uptick in ads? This tactic is nothing new—streaming services often start small and progressively ramp up ads after gaining a solid user base. The shift to streaming, away from traditional TV, has made it easier for companies to balance out price hikes and increased advertising revenue without losing massive subscription numbers.

It’s all part of the game for companies like Amazon, who are eager to maximize ad revenue per subscriber to fund more content and keep their shareholders happy.

In response to the rising ad concerns, Amazon has reassured advertisers of their commitment to enhancing ad experiences, not just bombarding viewers with more ads. They’ve introduced new ad formats and capabilities this year to offer more relevant and engaging ads for customers and advertisers alike.