No, your TV isn’t broken—that really was an ad you just saw on Amazon Prime Video. Like many other major streaming services, Amazon Prime Video now includes commercials. But unlike others that introduced cheaper ad-supported tiers, Amazon took a different approach: ads are now part of the standard Prime Video experience, and you have to pay extra to turn them off.
Want to remove those ads? Here’s how, plus what it’ll cost you.
How to Turn Off Ads on Amazon Prime Video
To eliminate most commercial breaks on Prime Video, you’ll need to upgrade your existing Amazon Prime subscription. Here’s how:
- Visit the Amazon Prime Video website and click on your profile icon in the top-right corner.
- Select ‘Account & Settings’.
- Click the ‘Go Ad-Free’ button.
- Confirm your payment and billing details, then click ‘Start subscription’.

How Much Does Ad-Free Amazon Prime Video Cost?
If you want to enjoy Prime Video without ads, it’ll cost you an extra $2.99 per month on top of your regular Amazon Prime membership fee.
Amazon Prime, which includes Prime Video, costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. Besides Prime Video, membership benefits include free shipping, Amazon Music, Prime Gaming, Prime Reading, and Amazon Fresh grocery deliveries.
Even Ad-Free Prime Video Still Has Some Ads
Before Amazon’s ad rollout, certain Prime Video content already included commercials—Thursday Night Football and other live sporting events.
Even if you opt for the ad-free subscription, you’ll still see ads during live sports events like TNF. But for everything else? The ads are gone.
What You Keep—and Lose—If You Don’t Upgrade
If you stick with the standard ad-supported Prime Video plan, you’ll lose access to some premium features:
- No Dolby Vision: You won’t get frame-by-frame HDR mapping for enhanced picture quality.
- No Dolby Atmos: Say goodbye to immersive 3D audio.
However, all Prime Video subscribers—whether ad-supported or ad-free—still get 4K streaming, HDR10 support, and offline downloads.
Didn’t Prime Video Used to Be Ad-Free?
Yes, it did. Up until January 29, 2024, Prime Video was mostly ad-free. But as of now, standard Prime Video subscriptions include ads by default.
Essentially, Prime members are now paying the same amount for an ad-supported service that was previously ad-free.
Amazon actually announced this move back in September 2023, giving subscribers some time to prepare.

Purchased and Rented Prime Video Titles Remain Ad-Free
Here’s some good news: any movies or TV shows you purchase or rent on Prime Video will remain ad-free, even if you stick with the standard ad-supported subscription.
Why Did Amazon Add Ads to Prime Video?
Like other major streaming platforms, Amazon added commercials to increase revenue.
“Wall Street has been demanding profitability from the big streaming services,” and ad-supported tiers have become an easy way to boost income.
Amazon was actually late to the party. Other streaming services rolled out ad-supported tiers much earlier:
- Max introduced “HBO Max With Ads” over three years ago.
- Netflix launched an ad-supported plan in late 2022.
- Disney+ followed shortly after.
As of now, Apple TV+ is the only major streaming platform without an ad-supported option, though many expect it to follow suit eventually.
Final Thoughts
Amazon Prime Video’s shift to an ad-supported model isn’t surprising, but it has frustrated many subscribers who were used to an ad-free experience. The only way to remove commercials is to pay an extra $2.99 per month, and even then, live sports will still include ads.
If you’re not a fan of the change, you’re not alone. But as more streaming services prioritize ad revenue, ad-free viewing is becoming a luxury that comes at an extra cost.