Keeping Amazon Prime Video as You Know It Will Cost You

We knew this day was coming, though we didn't know exactly when. Now, Amazon announces that its Prime Video service will start showing ads in its movies and TV shows beginning next month. The AP reports that the ad-infused content will kick off on Jan. 29, according to an email to US customers this week; those who want to enjoy uninterrupted programming will have to fork over an additional $2.99 a month. Though Amazon's email notes that it strives to have "meaningfully fewer ads" than what you'd see on regular TV, the advertising "will allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time."

NBC News—which offers a handy comparison chart of how Amazon Prime Video's new ad-free fee stacks up against other streaming services—notes that advertising "has taken a growing share of Amazon's business," with ad income last year exceeding income derived from subscriptions, according to the company's financial statements. Ads will also soon be coming to Amazon Prime Video subscribers in other countries, including Canada, Mexico, the UK, Australia, and parts of Europe.

Whatever the reasoning or outcome, there are predictably a lot of people unhappy with the new system, per TheStreet. "You greedy little f---ers. I just canceled my service," one disgruntled user wrote on X. Another snarked, "Unfortunately, their advertisements will probably be more entertaining than the stale movies and shows." (More Amazon Prime stories.)