The last few days have been hard for OTT viewers, especially those who currently have a subscription to Prime Video. Starting today, the popular OTT platform has begun displaying advertisements on its service. This decision is driven by the growing competition within the video-on-demand market and serves as a strategy to boost revenue through advertising. According to the company, users can expect to see four to six minutes of commercials for every hour of content they watch.
Ever since Prime Video went public with this announcement, the platform’s user base has lost its calm. Many have already flooded social media with posts and tweets about the high probability of a deteriorating viewing experience due to the new ad feature.
Moreover, Prime Video has made matters worse by adding a new ad-free option for an additional INR 699 per year or INR 129 per month, starting June 17. Yes, the platform is not changing the current subscription type for its users, but the fact that it is asking for an extra amount to offer an ad-free experience doesn’t make much sense.
Prime Video offers its annual subscription at INR 1,499, while its monthly and quarterly plans are priced at INR 299 and INR 599, respectively. Now, even users with the annual plan are being forced to pay an additional INR 699 to enjoy ad-free viewing.
And then people ask why there's still piracy?
— Somdeep Sardar (@DarkSomdeep12) June 15, 2025
A 699 over 1499 for
1) 6 min ad every 1 hour in Prime Video
2) Pay useless additional "marketplace fee" on Shopping
Feeling scammed by @PrimeVideoIN! Paid ₹1499 for premium plan, but limited content, bad recs, & now ads from today! ₹699 extra for ad-free? I only use Prime Video, not other services. Done with this #ShameOnAmazon @amazonIN
— Tauqueer Alam (@ItsMeStrake) June 17, 2025
So @PrimeVideoIN decided that paying 1499 isn't enough, so they introduced ads.... Now we get the privilege of paying another 700 a year to avoid the ads... @MIB_India Is this even legal? #ShameOnAmazon@amazonIN @amazon @HMOIndia
— Ordînàry Híndù 🇮🇳 🚩 (@wisernova) June 17, 2025
This scenario becomes even more painful when you consider that many of the good, gripping, entertaining, and interesting titles are now only available for rent. That means users have to pay extra on top of their subscription to watch these titles on Prime Video.
Users who opted for the annual INR 1,499 plan did so expecting a premium, ad-free experience. Forcing them to pay an additional INR 699 for something they previously received for free feels more like a penalty for their loyalty than an upgrade.
While the move has been hailed as a strategic response to the growing OTT competition, it could make Prime Video less attractive compared to rivals that still offer truly ad-free experiences at similar or lower price points. This situation significantly disrupts the immersive experience that OTT platforms were supposed to offer, pulling them closer to the traditional television model they were meant to replace. Stay tuned for more updates.