A new Amazon Prime update in the US has been slammed as ‘unbearable’ by users.
The streaming service has reportedly started rolling out a greater number of advertisements across its TV shows and films, a move it announced last year.
Around a year ago, Amazon Prime introduced ads for the first time, and said customers would have to pay an extra $2.99 a month if they wanted to get rid of them.
The company said in October that it had not seen a large drop in subscribers as a result, and so it had decided to add more.
But customers have complained that there are already enough ads – and some have even threatened to leave the platform as a result.
‘I’m done then, tried watching something last week and it was already at an unbearable level,’ one subscriber wrote on Reddit.
‘Amazon are trashing all their services at the moment, baffling.’
Another user made a tongue-in-cheek comment: ‘I really love watching something on prime where they place ads right in the middle of a pivotal, emotional scenes. It really makes me enjoy the viewing experience.’
A new Amazon Prime update has been slammed as ‘unbearable’ by users
One person said they had already cancelled their subscription when Prime Video introduced ads originally.
‘The moment they added ads I was gone. Life is better. And I’m saving money,’ they said.
Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, with standard Prime Video costing $8.99 on top of that.
Prime Video followed in the footsteps of Netflix, which was the first streamer to bring in ads in 2022 alongside a paid-for option with uninterrupted viewing.
Disney+ also made the same move later that year.
Kelly Day, vice-president of Prime Video International, said in October last year that the streaming service had purposefully launched with a ‘very light ad load.’
That included no ad breaks in the middle of a program, with the commercials shown at the beginning, middle, and end of each program or movie.
In an email sent to customers at the time, Amazon said: ‘Prime Video movies and TV shows will include limited advertisements.
‘We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers.’
Amazon has said that increased ads will allow the platform to throw more money behind original content, such as Mr & Mrs Smith, Road House, Fallout and Rings of Power (pictured)
Around a year ago Amazon Prime introduced ads for the first time, and said customers would have to pay an extra $2.99 a month if they wanted to get rid of them
But some users have complained of frustrating glitches which mean they are forced to re-watch ads if they rewind their show or movie, or revisit it at a later date.
‘God forbid you are trying to find where you left off. You’ll have to watch every ad marker you pass,’ one customer wrote on Reddit.
Amazon has said that increased ads will allow the platform to throw more money behind original content, such as Mr & Mrs Smith, Road House, Fallout and Rings of Power.
Vice-president Day also said Prime Video had increased spending on live sports rights.
