It wasn’t that long ago that Amazon Prime Video was completely ad-free, but that all changed in December when Amazon announced that viewers who wanted to keep their browsing experience ad-free would have to pay an extra $2.99 per month beginning January 1st.
The move has caused some frustration among subscribers, who may be used to not seeing ads while watching their favorite movies and shows. But Amazon believes the small fee is worth it for those who want an uninterrupted experience.
The move is a shift for Amazon Prime Video, which has been ad-free since it was launched in 2006. Amazon’s reasoning behind adding the $2.99 fee is to help cover the production costs of its original content.
Not all users will incur the fee, however. Those who still have access to the complimentary ad-supported tier, as well as members who have an existing Prime Video subscription won’t pay anything extra.
But those who are new to Amazon Prime Video and have not yet signed up for Prime membership will have to pay the additional $2.99 per month to avoid ads. Amazon also notes that the subscription cost could increase or decrease depending on the amount of content available at any given time.
So, for those viewers who don’t want to see ads while enjoying their favorite films and TVs shows, the only option now is to pay an extra fee. With only a few days to go before the new fee kicks in, there’s not much time left to make the decision.
