Ads are so hot right now again. As practically every streamer, even Netflix, cannonballs into the advertising market, it looks like big daddy Amazon is weighing the same decision with Prime Video. The Wall Street Journal reports the streaming service is currently “discussing a variety of ways†that they could introduce an ad-supported tier to their subscribers. It’s speculated that the streamer could introduce ads without hiking the price of its current $14.99 monthly Amazon Prime membership, which includes Prime Video (a standalone Prime Video membership is $8.99 a month), but may ask for more if you want to continue your ad-free experience. The WSJ report also speculated about whether Amazon might make still very nascent, unannounced ad tier the only option available, so long as Amazon kept its commercials “short†and relatively unobtrusive.
While its ad plans are not concrete yet, Amazon has been testing ads and ad partnerships in certain areas, such as live-sports coverage with the National Football League’s Thursday Night Football games, product placement in certain shows, and of course, on Freevee — Amazon’s free ad-supported television channel that recently premiered Jury Duty. Freevee doesn’t sound too bad right now.