(Toronto) Amazon’s Prime Video has chosen the date it will begin showing ads on its streaming platform in Canada.
Representatives for the company told The Canadian Press they have marked February 5, 2024 for the launch of commercial breaks in its television and film programming, which includes the action series Reacher and the documentary Mr. Dressup.
The advertising component will now be present by default in the retailer’s Prime subscription, which includes discounts on shipping costs. However, subscribers can opt out of ads by paying an additional $2.99 per month.
The announcement comes as streaming companies look for new ways to increase revenue, leading many to introduce advertising components on their cheapest monthly plans while increasing package prices without advertising.
Prime Video, which first announced plans to launch “limited ads” in September, says it will run “significantly fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers.”
Viewers in the United States, where Amazon already offers a free, ad-supported streaming service called Freevee, will start seeing ads on Prime Video a week earlier than in Canada, on January 29, 2024.