Amazon Prime is bringing back ads, and it’s a move that feels like a step backward. Our latest article explores what this means for streaming, broken brand promises, and whether we’re headed back to the era of cable TV.
The Return of (More) Ads... On Prime?!
We’ve all been there: settling in on the couch, snacks ready, and remote in hand, prepared for a cozy binge session on Amazon Prime. The company that, for years, set itself apart from traditional TV with its promise of ad-free entertainment has decided to revisit a tactic that was thought to have been buried alongside VHS tapes and rabbit-ear antennas—commercial breaks.
Amazon is increasing the number of ads on its Prime platform in 2025, and no, you haven’t travelled back in time to the 90s. It’s 2024, and apparently, what’s old is new again. The very allure of on-demand streaming, one that forever changed our viewing habits by killing ads, is being reversed. Suddenly, the scenario where you scream at the TV to “get back to the show!” is no longer a memory but a reality that’s creeping back into our living rooms.
How did we get here? Wasn't the whole point of paying for streaming services to leave ads behind us? The answer is complicated, and it might leave you questioning what exactly we’re paying for anymore.
The Shifting Sands of Amazon’s Brand Promise
Amazon’s move has left many of its loyal customers with a bitter aftertaste. After all, we trusted that by paying a monthly fee, we were free from interruptions. It was the very reason streaming platforms outclassed traditional TV in the first place. The promise of an uninterrupted experience was a brand identity. A pact, even.
Yet, that promise is now broken. It's akin to ordering a gourmet meal, only to be served reheated leftovers while the waiter tells you it's for "economic reasons." Jeff Bezos once famously said, “The most important single thing is to focus obsessively on the customer.” But the creeping increasing ads suggest a different focus—an obsession with monetizing the eyeballs they already have or the struggle to keep the revenue.
Prime was meant to liberate us from the tyranny of network TV ads. But now, we’re increasingly reminded of how much this model mimics the old one. Not only is there a loss of customer trust, but the service risks becoming the very thing it was designed to disrupt.
When the Market Shrinks, So Do Your Options
And now, there is a sinking feeling of powerlessness. Amazon isn’t alone in this advertising onslaught. Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu all now offer ad-supported tiers, and customers are beginning to feel boxed in. Instead of being spoiled for choice, we’re faced with options that all lead to the same place—pay more or watch ads.
It's as if the industry collectively realized that customers, having bought into the original promise of ad-free content, would now have to pay double if they wanted to escape ads again. This isn't an isolated betrayal but more of an industry-wide reconvergence on an old, familiar formula: where revenue trumps convenience, and viewers are squeezed.
We’re back to a two-tier system—the wealthy have their peace, and the rest must endure a bombardment of ads. It is a forced conformity by commodity, where our “choice” as consumers is a cleverly disguised lack thereof.
Can We Imagine a Way Out?
But this raises a question. A lingering curiosity tickles the back of our minds. Is this it? Is this the endgame of streaming, where every service becomes another version of cable TV, complete with endless commercial breaks and rising costs?
There’s something undeniably curious about how an industry that was built on a rebellion against traditional TV could fall so neatly into the same pattern. It makes one wonder—what would genuine innovation look like at this point? Can we imagine a streaming future that isn’t beholden to ad revenue? Or is this the inevitable endpoint of every form of mass media?
How about hybrid solutions—more creative ones than simply stuffing commercials between episodes? Interactive ads that reduce in number based on user engagement, or sponsorships that integrate with content more intelligently. This could be a space where the promise of personalization, one of streaming's great promises, could still shine.
What’s Next for Us as Viewers?
Perhaps this is where our creative spirit comes into play, where we as viewers and consumers might start pushing back. There is a potential here for viewers to become more demanding. Maybe it's time for us to reclaim what we truly value in our viewing experiences.
Could this spell the rise of niche streaming services? Smaller, ad-free platforms that cater to specific tastes without the bloated catalogues and endless interruptions? We might see a shift towards decentralization—where niche, subscriber-focused services take on the mainstream giants by delivering what we were promised: no ads, true creativity, and respect for our time.
Or maybe we go even further. Imagine a platform that rewards your watch time without ads, perhaps by allowing users to help curate or even create content. Gamified experiences, subscription rewards, community-funded series—there are numerous possibilities for a creative rebirth.
Are We Trapped in a Never-Ending Cycle?
Still, there’s anxiety in the air. A creeping suspicion that this cycle may be unbreakable. When it comes down to it, ads are just too lucrative. Amazon isn't necessarily being malicious; they’re responding to investor demands, trying to maintain profitability in an increasingly competitive market. But at what cost?
As more services join the ad-supported bandwagon, consumers are pushed towards two equally unattractive choices: pay an increasing amount for premium access or settle into the drudgery of yet more ads. It feels like we're losing the battle for our attention spans, returning to an era where advertisers had the keys to our content kingdom.
Are we being conditioned to expect that interruption is the cost of entertainment? Will we ultimately accept that even with a paid service, our focus is up for sale? This situation leads us to an uncomfortable conclusion: the dream of on-demand content, curated for us and free of corporate shilling, may have been fleeting.
In the end, what’s most frustrating is that we were already there. We had a moment—brief as it was—where the promise of subscription-based freedom was delivered. It seems we can’t help but backslide into the well-worn paths of profit over-promise.
Ad-Free, Interrupted
So here we are, with ads on Amazon Prime, caught in a peculiar blend of nostalgia and disappointment. The world of streaming is becoming increasingly indistinguishable from the cable TV wasteland it sought to replace. The promise of freedom from the endless interruptions of yesteryear feels shattered.
Still, the next chapter remains unwritten. How we, as viewers, adapt—or rebel—will determine whether this is truly a return to form or just another evolution of how we engage with our favourite shows. One thing’s for sure: while ads may be back, our craving for content without interruption hasn’t changed. And that, perhaps, is where the next revolution will begin.
