Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is loading more costs onto Prime customers by charging for advert-free content from next year.
After raising Prime fees by 17% last year, it will now impose an additional charge on subscribers unless they are prepared to accept ads.
“To continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time, starting in 2024, Prime Video shows and movies will include limited advertisements in the UK," the US group said in a statement.
"We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers,” it added.
No details on the cost of going ad-free in the UK were released today, that will be at a “later date” said Amazon, though live events will contain ads irrespective.
"We will email Prime members several weeks before ads are introduced into Prime Video with information on how to sign up for the ad-free option if they would like," it added.
US subscribers do know the cost; however, they will have to pay US$2.99 a month extra, which is £2.43 in sterling terms at current exchange rates.
Amazon said subscribers in Australia, Germany and Canada will also have to pay for ads-free viewing going forward,
Streaming providers such as Amazon, Disney, Peacock, and even YouTube are locked in a fierce battle for subscribers as overall demand flattens out and viewers grow increasingly savvy at switching if they don’t like the programmes on one channel.