Amazon’s streaming service Prime Video has quietly increased the number of ads viewers see while watching content. When the company first introduced ads in January 2024, it aimed to show only two to three-and-a-half minutes of ads per hour a lighter ad load compared to other streaming services. But now, less than 18 months later, that number has doubled to four to six minutes per hour, according to six media buyers and documents reviewed by ADWEEK.
An Amazon representative confirmed the increase in an email to an ad buyer, writing, “Prime Video ad load has gradually increased to four to six minutes per hour.”
When Prime Video launched its ad-supported tier, ads were turned on by default for all Prime members. While some users were unhappy, this move instantly gave Amazon access to more than 150 million monthly ad-supported viewers.
To make this switch easier for users, Amazon initially kept the ad volume low.
Doug Paladino of PMG, said, “They had to make the ad load palatable.”
However, Amazon had already told investors in late 2024 that it planned to increase the number of ads shown in 2025. Media buyers say this change is part of Amazon’s effort to better align with industry norms and make its ad space more competitive.
Kendra Tang, programmatic supervisor at Rain the Growth Agency, “They told us the ad load would be increasing. That’s been confirmed recently when we noticed more avails in the system.”
“This is a lot of them coming back to equilibrium,” Paladino added. “They have more subscribers than any other ad-supported streamer, but many weren’t watching enough for that to matter. More ad load helps bring that back into balance.”
With this new range of 4 to 6 minutes of ads per hour, Prime Video is now similar to other premium streaming platforms. Netflix still offers the lightest ad experience, while platforms like Hulu, Tubi, and Paramount+ show more ads.
“Prime Video is now firmly in that middle tier,” said Paladino.
Notably, even at the increased level, Prime Video’s ad load is still much lower than traditional cable TV, which usually shows 13 to 16 minutes of ads per hour.
By showing more ads, Amazon has created more inventory or space to sell ads which could lead to lower prices for advertisers. According to media buyers, cost per thousand impressions (CPMs) on Prime Video are currently mid-range compared to other platforms.
David Nyurenberg, senior vice president of digital at InterMedia Advertising, said, “That’s the upside here. A biddable environment, plus greater supply, should allow buyers to find impressions at more efficient rates. It’s a good thing if they can scale without degrading user experience.”
“If Prime Video drops 10% to 20% in price, it could move spend their way,” Paladino added.
Additionally, more ad space helps advertisers reach niche audiences through Amazon’s data tools. However, not everyone is convinced this solves Amazon’s advertising challenges.
“It’s still hard to measure Prime Video’s performance against other platforms,” one ad buyer said. “Amazon does measurement, but only within its own ecosystem. That makes it hard to justify the high CPMs, especially when results can’t be benchmarked elsewhere.”
Advertisers are also watching closely to see if users start skipping content due to more ads.
Ryan Mason, president and COO of Markacy, said, “For us, lower CPMs are appealing, but it comes with a viewer tolerance tradeoff. It might take a while to fully observe that in the market if it does happen but tracking ad revenue per advertiser is something Prime will be managing tightly as a harbinger of how effective Prime Video ads truly are.”
This increase in ad time shows Amazon’s ambition to grow its advertising business across Prime Video and other media platforms. The company is also investing in tools like Amazon Marketing Cloud and private auctions to attract more advertisers.
Sam Bloom, head of partnerships at PMG, said, “There’s a clear strategy here. They’ve been investing in tools like Amazon Marketing Cloud, Publisher Cloud, and private auctions to make this a full-fledged ad platform. Increasing ad load is part of creating enough scale to support that.”
Still, Amazon will need to balance revenue growth with user satisfaction and advertiser expectations. “As long as the ad load stays manageable and performance holds up, we’ll keep investing,” Paladino said. “But if it slips, spend follows the results.”