TORONTO –
Amazon Prime Video has set the date it will begin showing commercials on its streaming service in Canada.
Company officials told The Canadian Press they have marked Feb. 5, 2024, for the start of commercial breaks across their television and film programming, which includes the action series “Reacher” and the documentary “Mr. Dressup”.
The ad tier is now the default setting of the retailer's Prime membership, which includes discounts on shipping. However, subscribers can opt out of commercials by paying an additional $2.99 per month.
The announcement comes at a time when streaming companies are looking for new ways to increase revenue, which has led many to introduce advertising tiers in their cheapest monthly plans while increasing prices for ad-free packages.
Prime Video, which first outlined plans to introduce “limited advertising” in September, says it will show “significantly less advertising than linear TV and other streaming TV providers.”
Viewers in the US, where Amazon already operates a free, ad-supported streaming service called Freevee, will see advertising on Prime Video a week earlier than in Canada starting January 29, 2024.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2023.