June 13, 2025 – According to a report from Adweek, Amazon has significantly escalated the advertising frequency on its Prime Video platform, with ads now appearing for 4 to 6 minutes every hour. This move comes after initial rumors in October 2024 that hinted at Amazon’s intention to ramp up its advertising presence on the streaming service.
The current ad duration marks a nearly two – fold increase from the initial 3.5 – minute limit set when Prime Video first introduced its ad – supported tier. In the past, subscribers to Amazon Prime or those paying 9permonthcouldenjoyafull−fledged,ad−freeviewingexperience.However,startingfromlate2023,Amazonannouncedthatuserswouldneedtoshelloutanadditional3 per month if they wished to continue skipping ads. Moreover, the basic subscription plan also saw the removal of premium audio – visual features such as Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support.
The trend of offering lower – priced, ad – included subscriptions has now become the new norm in the streaming industry. Internationally, major players like Netflix, Max, Peacock, and Paramount+ have all rolled out ad – supported subscription options. Even Apple, a company that is generally perceived as having ample financial resources, was reported in 2023 to be in the process of assembling an advertising sales team. This move is widely seen as a precursor to launching an ad – supported tier for its Apple TV+ service.
