If you have been seeing ads in Amazon Prime lately and wondering why you are getting ads in Amazon Prime you are not alone. The topic has been coming up anywhere people talk about streaming. The thing is that Amazon is not using advertisements in their Amazon Prime selections. It is using advertisements on IMDBTV selections. This is causing a very confusing problem that Amazon could fix pretty easily with an ad-supported tab in the app that indicated that the content was different than the Prime Video apps.
Amazon Prime Video is still an ad-free service. It is what you get for buying into the Amazon Prime shipping, music, etc service. But what Amazon has been doing with their Prime video app is mixing up content from Prime with other content from multiple partners. This is most notable in the “Watch Next” section where Amazon puts content for the viewer based on their viewing habits. This means that not only will commercial-free movies and TV shows be listed next to ad-supported video, there may even be movies and TV shows that have to be rented or bought. Another title may be available through a subscription to a totally different service.
You have to understand that Amazon’s video app is not a free content player or even a premium video service along the lines of Netflix. It is a store. Amazon always wants to sell you stuff. Subscriptions, rentable content, sports services, and more. And if Amazon offered its own pay-TV service to replace cable you can be sure that there would be selections based on that as well. The thing is that Amazon has always been kind of like that. When the Amazon Video app first joined Roku, it was actually only an on-demand purchase option. Its Prime Video offering came a few years later. The thing that is getting confusing now though is that Amazon sells so many different services in the TV app that it did not before. It is actually starting to feel like the shopping app. Hopefully, we will avoid seeing blocks for olive oil and toilet paper next to The Man In The High Castle, but I am not in a position to make promises.
I hope that clears some things up for you. Check out our video for more information on this topic.
Sounds like Prime Video comes with a price, if not monetary it does cost my time.
You say Amazon always want to sell me something. It did sell me something at start of the year, and I bought it. It’s called Prime, which included Prime Video, But splitting a series up so the last half goes to ImdbTV with commercials isn’t “selling me” something. It’s taking away something I purchased with expectations. They still collect my fee and now get away with letting another service stream my shows. Ergo, they have less to stream for the same fee. Since I can’t pay for ImdbTV to get it commercial free, it’s just a backroom deal that lowers the contract obligation of Amazon and benefits a partner who wants to advertise to me. Just another ploy that says, “Lets all make money and let the customer take the hindmost.”
Regarding the issue of advertising, outside of Amazon ads, while watching programs on Amazon Prime.
For me this issue started from the beginning of October ’21 and wanting to find out why this had suddenly started? I contacted Amazon Customer services and after a few days, I received the following reply;
“Amazon.co.uk
Your Account Amazon.co.uk
Message From Customer Service
Hel​lo,
This is xxxx from Amazon Support.
This email is regarding our previous call conversation about the issue you’ve had with Ads on Prime video App.
Our technical team has informed that,​ Playing ads is intended behavior. I’m afraid we do not have an option to remove these Ads.
If you experience any trouble, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
We look forward to seeing you again soon.​​​​​
Your feedback is helping us build Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company.
Warmest regards,
Amazon.co.uk”
So guess it’s here to stay and rather than getting het up, just sit back, enjoy the programming and ignore those ads!
With regards, Nick ?
Total BS. Just had my FIRST ad watching “The take”. Not for me EVER!! No ads EVER for me. I already paid. If it has ads I’m not watching it
I totally agree. I will give up watching entirely if I have to suffer ads, the same way I’ve given up watching TV. The quality of being present with anything in this world is being sold out for money.
I will tolerate no further intrusion into my peace of presence.!
Fuck you amazon! Canceling!
I’m so mad!!! I am already paying $100 a month for Amazon now they want more? What the hell? So freaking greedy! I’m done with Amazon
Exactly what is it that you are mad about?
Exactly what he said–it was covered in the article. Are you one of those people who goes around helpfully explaining to everyone why they’re technically wrong about something.
@Ryan Downey @mari is mad because he/she paid for an ad free service and now they are getting ads. Total BS.
we are disturbed because A) we expected to receive commercial interruption-free shows and B) these shows are not formatted for commercials,i.e. with the customary plot and musical cues that are designed to accommodate a “natural” pause for a commercial. This leaves us with sudden jarring jumps straight to commercial. This may be designed to elicit more “attendance” to commercial content, though there is a tiny “clock” in the lower left corner of the screen showing how much time til the show resumes, but it is still upsetting since we were led to expect commercial-free content since we are paying for the service. It definitely seems to be a major degradation in the otherwise good service.
Agree total BS. You pay for ad free TV you should get ad free TV. Jesus everyone has the hand out for all they can grab from the customer …. So sick of big corp. that screw people out of every dime they can. Always willing to give things a second chance. Well Amazon has screwed me for the very last time. Big Corp has gotten to big for it britches … FO … Pissed off subscriber.
We pay for Amazon Prime. Don’t put these other shows on there to select from.
We don’t like advertisements!
… and when I called Amazon to find out more and ask why… “Mathew” put me on indefinite hold. Yes, that’s right… they essentially hung up on me. I pay $203+ a year in subscriptions and I’m not worthy of being spoken to … Really, write your congressman/woman.
If I see an advertisement on Amazon Prime that I have paid for, I will go out of my way NOT to buy what they are selling.
You won’t see an ad for a product on Amazon. But all of the services seem to be doing skippable house ads for their own shows.
Yeah but why when I try to watch one show do I get some advertisement for another show on their service? Usually pushing one of their original shows.
We just saw ads for products on our Prime movie last night. Amazon has to fix this problem.
Yes and content that used to be commercial free has been handed over to IMDb. The Saint series from the 60s is a case in point. No longer willing to watch this with commercials. I guess for Amazon the world is not enough!
Seems like Amazon is screwing everything up. They bought Whole foods and the products went up as much as 30%. Jeff Bezos greed is unbelievable, Before I purchase on Amazon, I explore my options. Most of the time I find better deals even when paying the shipping. Hopefully the people will catch on and move there money to other avenues.
I already wrote my comments above and you require more than I have to post it? I do not have a website!!!
Why I am seeing ads suddenly on something included with Prime? Such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert?
What Ryan is not saying in his article here is that some shows which started out free on Amazon have been moved over to IMDb which now has ads for the same content that we were watching for free before.
This reminds me of the days when cable television promoted a promise of no ads since you had to now pay for this otherwise free (by broadcast) television progrsamming. That was to help them gain customers but more importantly get approval from congress and FCC, etc. to roll it out. Hell, I remember when you couldn’t own a telephone. I’m ancient. ??
Agreed
“Amazon Prime Video is still an ad-free service”
No its not, if it was there would be no ads period. And even Amazon Originals and Exclusives have ads. In between eps you get an ad for another show on Prime. Just because they arent flogging Viagra in between eps doesnt make it any less of an advertisement
“You have to understand that Amazon’s video app is not a free content player or even a premium video service.”
Ryan Downey, this is semantic tapdancing. Prime isn’t just a “video app” and they are *very much* a “premium video service,” as evidenced by the boatload of content Amazon Prime itself produces.
OK. I finally seen my first……long….mind-numbing add. WTF. Amazon you suck. We pay for this subscription. Will not renew my subscription. Done!
Months back I had been binge watching several old shows. In one week they all became “free with ads”. Ads are one reason I stopped watching regular tv, the other being the stupidity of most programming. I think the author has characterized the situation incorrectly. Amazon is simply trying to squeeze more money by creating “imdb tv”…. FREE! WITH ADS.
Wow I wonder why stockholm syndrome is so endemic in tech column writers – oh yes representing the vendors spin pays in access and freebees etc and even job offers …
Wow. Here is another take on why the story was written. Some consumers have no idea what they are talking about. They don’t see the forest for the trees. They are easy to anger and love pointing fingers. And as a publication that has covered streaming since Amazon was nothing more than an on-demand channel and HBO didn’t even have a streaming service of any type I have a little perspective on the issue and some insight that maybe even you don’t have. And it’s just a fact that IMDB TV, despite being melded into Amazon’s app is a separate selection of content. Should Amazon keep it in a separate place? Yes? But they do label their Prime video content with an easy-to-see tag in the corner. I’m no corporate shill. I am trying to explain things to people who ask the same question 100 times.
Great explanation Ryan – clear and concise (sort of) – thanks. Prime member for 4+ years and yesterday was the 1st time I inadvertently chose a film (Tracks) that had ads – was outraged, googled for info, then found your explanation – and now will never again watch anything that indicates IMDBTV. Amazon should have made it clear somewhere that IMDBTV has ads when I selected this film. How can I avoid repeating this ad content on future selections? What other Amazon “Partners” (besides IMDBTV) should I avoid in order to watch ad free? Thanks again for your article – much appreciated.
I just happened to catch two shows in a row with ads that occur WITHIN THE SHOW ITSELF. I agree with an earlier post. Showing them between episodes is one thing, breaking into your enjoyment of the flow of a show is quite another. I’m seconds from cancellation. I guess Jeffy doesn’t have enough money yet. He has to keep pumping loyal customers for more and more, greedy bastard that he is.
Then you are watching IMDB TV not Prime Video.