Amazon Prime Video to Increase Ad Breaks

If you are already frustrated with the number of ads on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service, there is more concerning news. You may soon be required to watch twice as many ads between movies and TV shows, according to reports AdWeek.

When the streaming service began showing ads earlier this year launched, commercial breaks were expected to last between 2 and 3.5 minutes per hour. However, in a recent email to advertisers, Amazon has indicated that these breaks have now been extended to 4 to 6 minutes per hour.

Amazon has communicated its plans to extend ad breaks to investors, but has yet to inform subscribers. It remains unclear when this change will be implemented on Prime Video and whether the stated duration will be maintained.

Reports suggest that the streaming service did not experience a significant drop in subscribers when it first introduced ads. However, it is now uncertain how much advertising subscribers are willing to tolerate.

Why Are More Ads Being Shown?

It is common practice for streaming services to begin with a limited number of ads to attract new customers while minimizing the risk of alienating existing ones. Once the subscriber base reaches a sufficient size, these services can gradually increase the advertising load (which has backfired for companies like Roku).

As more viewers transition from traditional linear television to streaming platforms, it becomes easier for providers to implement both price increases and additional advertising without significantly impacting subscription numbers.

Companies like Amazon aim to maximize revenue from advertising per subscriber to fund further productions and satisfy shareholders.