Subscriber Outcry against Amazon’s Ad Implementation:
Amazon Prime Video faced severe backlash from its loyal subscriber base after announcing the impending introduction of advertisements, sparking fury and threats of membership cancellations.
The streaming service, set to roll out ads starting January 29 in the US and February 5 in the UK, received a wave of criticism for its decision.
Outrage and Criticism Aimed at Jeff Bezos’ Company:
The anger stemmed from the requirement for an additional $2.99 monthly fee to access an ad-free experience on top of existing membership charges of $8.99 for Prime Video and $14.99 for Prime membership.
Enraged users expressed their frustration on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, condemning Amazon’s pursuit of increased profits despite CEO Jeff Bezos’ substantial net worth of $175.7 billion.
Subscriber Reactions and Cancellations:
Numerous users expressed their discontent, with some labeling Amazon’s move as greedy and canceling their subscriptions in protest.
One subscriber expressed frustration over already paying for an ad-free service, while another condemned the notion of a multibillionaire seeking more revenue through ad sales.
Amazon’s Explanation and Future Implementation:
Amazon communicated the shift in its model through an email to all customers, explaining that Prime Video content would soon feature limited advertisements.
The company defended the move, citing the need to sustain investments in content creation while assuring users that the Prime membership cost would remain unchanged.
Expansion of Ad Presence and Industry Trend:
While Amazon has not specified the exact workings of these ads, it’s expected that they’ll interrupt content before and during streaming.
Moreover, the introduction of ads won’t be limited to the US and the UK, as other countries are slated to experience this change in 2024.
This shift follows similar strategies by competitors like Netflix and Disney+, both of which introduced ads in their lower-priced subscription tiers since last year.