Months after announcing adverts would soon appear on its platform, Amazon Prime Video has revealed when they will be introduced.
In the US, ads will arrive on January 29, but on Amazon.co.uk, the date is February 5, so we get an extra, blissful week of uninterrupted streaming on this side of the pond.
However, it also appears that at least some UK subscribers have not been contacted directly about the change to their subscriptions.
Instead, a message on Amazon.co.uk updates users about the platform’s major change.
‘Starting February 5, Prime Video movies and TV shows will include limited advertisements,’ the statement reads.
‘This will allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time.’
The update to Amazon Prime follows hot on the heels of Netflix and Disney+ introducing cheaper tiers with adverts, leaving Apple TV+ as the last major streaming platform still holding out ad-free.
However, Amazon did note it aimed to have ‘meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers’.
Subscribers also have the option to avoid adverts (almost) entirely by paying an extra £2.99 a month for Prime Video Ad Free.
Prime Video is included in Amazon’s Prime membership, which costs £8.99 a month or £95 annually. It also offers a student membership for £4.49 a month of £47.49 a year.
Prime membership includes free one-day delivery on many items bought through the platform, but there is no option for a Prime Video-only subscription.
In addition, users who pay for the ad-free service will still be shown adverts during live events, including Premier League matches, and on Amazon Freevee.
However, no ads will be shown in content that is rented or purchased, and viewers in Ireland, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man will not see adverts in their content – for now.
Amazon is introducing adverts to customers in the UK, US, Germany and Canada first, with France, Spain, Italy, Mexico and Australia following later in 2024.
Amazon Studios, which produces original content for the platform, has enjoyed commercial and critical success in recent years. Hits include The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
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