Amazon Prime Video finally rolled out ads for its membership plan this Monday as more streaming platforms raise prices for their ad-free subscriptions.
The sweeping changes on the Prime Video will now need users to shell out $2.99 more per month to remove them.
This is in addition to the $8.99 monthly subscription fee for Amazon Prime Video, or $14.99 per month if added as part of Amazon Prime membership.
The ad-supported plan is expected to drop first on its streaming services in US, UK, Germany, and Canada. France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia will soon receive the changes too.
Amazon announced the ad-supported plan last December after its streaming rivals also increased prices for their subscription plans.
Video Streaming Platforms Increase Price for Ad-Free Streaming
Amazon's competitors have earlier increased their prices for their ad-tier plans as the ad-supported option replaces the previous basic subscription plan.
Netflix, Hulu, Max, Disney+, Peacock, and Paramount+ have increased prices for their monthly subscription fee.
Netflix and Disney+ earlier introduced ad-support tiers as the previous ad-free basic subscription was junked or put at a higher subscription plan.
Combined, the prices for the new ad-free subscription plans are now equivalent or greater than the subscription fee for a cable TV.
It is no surprise that many users have started calling others to start pirating instead of paying all streaming services.
Why are Streaming Platforms Raising Prices?
It can be noticed that the price hikes occurred after the historical Hollywood actors' strike last year that demanded streaming companies provide better royalties for actors.
Before that, the Writers' Guild of America also held their own protest that resulted in these companies paying writers better amid the increasing inflation.
Many of the price hikes also occurred as the company announced a series of layoffs as cost-cutting measures.
