Advertisements are here to stay and this has been demonstrated in each of the streaming platforms currently available. First was Netflix, followed by Disney+, HBO Max and SkyShowtime. Of course, no one forces you to consume advertising, so if you want a subscription without ads you will have to pay more. Now it’s Amazon Prime Video’s turn, but, even with advertising content, it’s still one of the best options video on demand. I’ll tell you why.
We all believed that, with the arrival of the paid streaming scene, we would be exempt from advertising. Netflix itself laughed at conventional channels by offering movies, series and any other type of programming without having to watch ads, quite the opposite of what happens today on DTT. But, apparently, the shot has backfired and the subscriber numbers were not enough to cover all the expenses on audiovisual productions. To do this, there was no other way than to resort to advertising spots.
In this context, it seemed that Amazon Prime Video was the only one that was going to be saved, but that was not the case. Its users were engrossed when they received the notice that as of April 9th the ads would reach the application, so if you want to avoid them, you will have to pay an extra 1.99 euros per month. However, I am going to explain to you the reasons why you can save that additional cost which, apart from avoiding ads, barely provides essential features.
Ads on Prime Video? It’s not the end of the world
Streaming platforms have educated us very poorly in recent years. They told us that if we paid, we would not see ads again. A justification that does not correspond at all with the policy they are implementing and, although they deny it, they once again equate themselves with traditional DTT. Don’t get me wrong, not on such an abusive scale of ads as we usually consume, but the term ad has already been integrated into each and every major online movie and series application.
What’s your pitch for avoiding ads? Pay more. In this way, they will progressively increase their profits and doubly: more money in subscriptions and greater profit from advertising consumption. One of the main reasons is that the series need to have a larger budget, since production costs increase considerably. Just by taking a look at mega-productions of the likes of The Rings of Power o Stranger Things, we realize the magnitude of the matter. It’s understandable.
In fact, we have to think that this is done for the good, and that is to bring more quality in movies and series that we watch from our living rooms. But at the same time, these companies know how to read the game very well and are not going to overwhelm the subscriber with dozens of ads, far from it, because it would mean the total cancellation of their subscription. It should be remembered that Netflix has not done so badly, since at the end of 2023 13 million more subscribers were added.
Why stay with the standard Prime Video plan?
In the case of Prime Video, one or two ads can be detected of trademarks at the beginning of each content, whether series or movie, and everything in between It will depend on the duration of the program that is being visualized, something that may be insignificant for some and uncomfortable for others. In general terms, Amazon’s streaming platform is one of the most cautious when it comes to offering advertising, since it is less exaggerated than the advertising plan offered by Netflix, for example.
Furthermore, at the moment, there are no cuts in 4K resolution in the plan with ads, as happens on Disney+, nor in the limitation of the content libraryas it does on Netflix.
Not to mention the purchases made through Amazon with the benefit of getting fast and free shipping as a Prime customer, as well as access to a wide library of songs through Amazon Music. And these last named reasons are usually the main reasons why you truly subscribe to Amazon and not just for its streaming service. Reasons why the technology giant has tied its users and, probably, very few will unsubscribe for placing ads with all the incentives it contains.
Little by little, the ads have ended up reaching streaming platforms. Those that were born to free us from them, now seem a bit like boring old television.
