Amazon Prime Video will soon come with ads, or a $2.99 monthly charge to dodge them::Amazon’s Prime Video will begin showing ads during shows and movies early next year.
The only reason I used prime video was because it came with prime. I’m just going to stop using it altogether if there’s ads
same tbf, but this might be the reason they are doing it, they know a majority of the users only use it cause it’s there, and the ones who will care enough would buy the ad free. Less cost on bandwidth and more money from ads or subscriptions. It’s a win-win for them
During COViD, I did get addicted to Prime, so I guess they’re just trying to help with the cure? Anyhow, now I can goto stores again, plus my kids are off on their own so it’s just me, so it does seem excessive. Actually,Prime TV has already gotten harder to watch, as they keep steering g you to ad supported networks. Just when I get less use out of it, they raise their prices and add ads?
Right? Or maybe watching the first part of a show until the first commercial to determine if I want to take the time to find it elsewhere.
“Amazon gross profit for the twelve months ending June 30, 2023 was $244.974B, a 18.22% increase year-over-year.”
“Amazon operating income for the twelve months ending June 30, 2023 was $17.717B, a 15.81% increase year-over-year.”
Poor company. I can see how they have been forced to do this as a last resort effort to salvage their struggling corporation.
Prime Video isn’t profitable and they need it to be. They included it with Prime to build a user base but they were always going to charge or make you watch ads after that. And that’s perfectly fine because running a service that’s never going to make any money is fucking stupid.
If you don’t like it, don’t pay but stop with that “big corp makes enough money so keep giving me shit for free” bullshit.
Would love to read your pitch for a streaming service that doesn’t charge money and doesn’t show any ads though
The multi-billionaire owned Amazon (A company that pays no taxes) already charges for their service.
They charge for Prime (Delivery) and until now, Prime Video was included in that price. I hate Amazon as much as the next guy (don’t even haven an account) but all i read from you guys is exactly this kind of unconstructive rambling.
What the fuck do you expect? That a listed mega corporation just goes like “Oh you know what we make billions, what does it even matter if one of our services doesn’t make any money, let’s just keep going, not like we have shareholders to answer to”.
Remember when people used to pay 5 bucks to rent a VHS for ONE DAY and no one lost their mind about it? Without constantly whining about Blockbusters profit margin?
But thanks for clearing up that Amazon is a billionaire owned company, only read that for the 500th time this week.
Sure, but pointing out that this strategy of carpet pulling isn’t the best consumer feeling is valid. And, um, Prime isn’t free.
Not what they pointed out though. It’s just the usual, mindless big corp rant you can’t escape on here.
Existing Prime users got all this content without additional charges for years, that’s what I meant when I said free but you probably know that. If you think that’s a sustainable way to keep producing content for billions of dollars, it’s very naive imo.
But feel free to point out what would have been a better strategy and maybe actually start a discussion
Wow. You need to Netflix and chill.
I have been a Prime member since 2014 and joined exclusively for Prime Video access. Of course nothing is free. I am now going to pay more, yes you heard right, and will choose to continue being a paying member even at the higher cost, so that I can receive the SAME service and not have it degraded with ads. I hate ads and for all the services I subscribe to, 4 video streaming and 1 music streaming, I always pay the premium to not see ads.
You need to have a good hard look at yourself if you think defending Amazon puts you on the right ethical side of the fence. These cheap extra ad based profits, that deliver no new customer value, will not go to raising the low salaries many of their workforce endure, or relieve the pressure with their mandated 6% non-regrettable attrition policies, or stop their practices of stealing designs from small businesses and undercutting them with Amazon branded equivalents, or ensure taxes are paid in the relevant countries, or prevent further large scale lay offs.
This additional subscription cost is a first world problem for me but Amazon is not only an easy target for constant criticism, but a deserving one.
You guys just keep throwing everything in the same pot. I don’t like Amazon and don’t even have an account.
To raise the price (by 3 measly bucks) for a service that doesn’t make money is something a listed company IS REQUIRED to do. That’s all I am saying.
It has nothing to do with how much money the company makes in other areas and is a completely separate issue from the horrible working conditions, which is a political one.
But i guess it’s easier to just cry about everything while still throwing money at them and then jerking each other off because you commented “aMaZon SuCks”. Talk about the right side of the fence
It is not uncommon for a corporation to have areas of the business that are not profitable if those parts of the business are considered loss leaders. In this case Amazon has been trying to build up a larger Prime user base (220+ million globally now) as it helps drive other more profitable parts of the business such as online Amazon sales.
“Consumer Intelligence Research Partners reports that Prime members shop about 25 times annually on the site, versus non-Prime members’ mere 14 purchases.”
This increase is understandable, ad revenue was actually a bigger business than subscriptions last year, but annoying as there is nothing of value for a consumer behind it and yes many of us are cynical that these additional profits would bring much broader benefit.
This has been interesting to read. This is my first comment in Lemmy that has actually generated any meaningful debate.
Thanks internet stranger for actually putting an opinion forward. We don’t have to always agree but it is fun to engage with other real people.
Exactly, of course there a correlation between the two but they must have gotten to a point where Prime Video sign-ups don’t boost their regular Prime user base anymore, so they had to do something about Prime Video operating at a net loss.
As i said before, Prime Video was never intended to be a “free” addition to regular Prime forever, this is something everyone should have seen coming.
Thanks for your kind words, to have an actual debate about this is all i wanted instead of reading the same, undifferentiated bullshit that seems to take over Lemmy more and more…
Church.
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I never stopped. It’s been obvious for ages that if you don’t have the data on your drive, you may not get it again.
I do pay for Prime, but all I care about is saving on shipping. Even if a show is on Prime, I’ll pirate it if I want to watch.
Where do all whippersnapper young pirates go on these days? I’ve been out of the sea too long but I can hear its call.
Google Real Debrid (Torrent-Service) in combination with Stremio (App) and Torrentio (Addon for app). No VPN needed, low cost (€16/180days) works on PC, FireTV…
Same, I started because amazon used to show me ads for other shows while trying to binge something, which was very annoying.
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This is how cable TV started as well. You had to pay, but there were no ads. Eventually ads crept in and it is what it is today. Streaming is now different, just more complicated for the users.
Prime is already my least watch service. I have it for the shipping, not for the video. I have been thinking about cancelling it to push me to support local businesses more often.
Amazon enshitification continues. The 2 day prime shipping expectation is already decaying, and now this.
Amazon is actually phasing out 2 day delivery because of too high order volume I am delivery driver for them.
Interesting inside scoop, thank you. I look forward to them reducing the prime annual fee accordingly! ;-)
Thanks for letting us know. Then what’s the point of prime?
Free shipping during Christmas time? Idk, that’s all I will be using it for.
Cool, early next year I’ll ditch Prime.
EDIT: Nvm, just cancelled. Amazon is pretty terrible.
in Bird Culture this is considered a dick move
In dick culture this is considered a Richard move.
Thats a funny way to say amazon are raising the cost by 2.99 per momth.
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Hope it was worth the 0.005 cents you made per video to lose all those subscribers.
They won’t lose too many, most will just not pay the extra fee, and the ad revenue will more than make up for it.
Odd, all the Amazon show I watch are on Plex.
Plex is clamping down on uses violating the TOS though. They’re banning whole hosting provider IP blocks next month that were popular with people selling access to Plex servers.
I’ve also seen reports of them banning individual users sharing large libraries with family and friends over residential connections. And then sending notifications to those people that their friend/family member was running a commercial piracy operation.
Well time to switch to jellyfish then, I guess
Just cancelled my prime membership because of this, I encourage all of you to do the same.
I use prime mainly for Prime gaming, which gives me my money back.
I use it for shopping. I live in the country side, not a lot of options around here, and in a country where the concept of free shipping does not exist. So Prime saves me a lot. I barely use prime video though…
Was going to say the same. You get so much shit from Prime Gaming. Given, half of it is actual shit that you’ll never use. But if you play games on PC, it’s something worth looking into.
Fuck right off. Makes me want to break shit.
I will be cancelling my subscription the first time I see an ad.
Just cancel it now
Probably should talk to someone about that
What do you mean? I’m talking to you guys about it!
It’s about time to cancel Prime and greedy Bezos anyway
Need to pay $2.99 + subscription to remove ads?WTF
Amazon is just barely holding on in my streaming stable, this will be enough to push it out.
Lol its trillion dollar company. What they are doing is a tactic to check if consumers will leave their streaming service. They know few people will leave but they don’t care however most people won’t and will be paying more that usual.
Well it’s a stupid move because it’s bundled with everything. I am not going to pay for add free, I am just going to cancel after Christmas shopping is done. That means I will be less likely to buy from Amazon in the future. It’s not like anything comes in 2 days anymore anyway.
Amazon wants peoplento pirate 🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️
There’s already services out there where you pay like $20 a year and can stream basically anything, no need to download anything. Access to pretty much any show on Netflix, Amazon, apple, Disney, etc with about a days delay from new episodes. Can even stream movies still in theater, although it’s hit and miss on those can be more like a week or two from release before you can stream them reliably.
Where are these services? Asking for a friend 😉
