Amazon Brings Ads to Prime Video in India Starting June 17, Introduces New Ad-Free Add-On Plan

Amazon is set to make a significant shift in how its Prime Video service is delivered in India. Starting June 17, 2025, Prime Video will include advertisements during movies and TV shows, marking the end of its long-standing ad-free experience for standard subscribers.

The announcement came through an email sent out to all Prime members, detailing the changes and introducing a new ad-free add-on plan for those who prefer uninterrupted streaming.

Why Are Ads Coming to Prime Video?

For years, Prime Video subscribers in India enjoyed uninterrupted streaming as part of their regular membership. That’s about to change. Amazon stated that the move to bring ads into the platform is aimed at funding more content and expanding its streaming library. With competition heating up among platforms like Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, and Sony LIV, it seems Amazon is looking to generate additional revenue to keep its content fresh and competitive.

Amazon did not specify the exact number of ads users can expect per movie or TV episode but did mention that it will have "meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming services." This implies that while ads will be present, they are aiming to keep interruptions minimal compared to traditional cable TV.

Ad-Free Option: What Are the Costs?

If you’re someone who values an ad-free experience, Amazon has introduced a way to opt out of ads—but it comes at an extra cost. Starting from June 17, 2025, subscribers can pay ₹699 per year or ₹129 per month to continue watching Prime Video content without interruptions. This is a discounted price; Amazon clarified that the original cost of the ad-free plan is ₹999 per year, making the initial offering a bit more attractive.

However, it’s important to note that this ad-free add-on is an additional cost on top of your existing Amazon Prime subscription. The standard Prime membership costs ₹1,499 per year for the annual plan. If you decide to go ad-free, your total annual cost would be ₹1,499 (Prime Membership) + ₹699 (Ad-free add-on), bringing it to ₹2,198 per year.

To put it simply:

• If you don’t mind ads, you can continue with your regular Prime subscription at ₹1,499 per year.

• If you want to remove ads, you’ll need to pay an extra ₹699 per year or ₹129 per month.

This structure is similar to what YouTube Premium and Disney+ Hotstar Premium offer, where you pay an additional fee to bypass ads entirely.

What Happens to Existing Plans?

The introduction of ads does not affect the pricing of Amazon’s existing Prime membership plans. The costs remain as follows:

• ₹299 per month

• ₹599 for three months

• ₹1,499 for the annual plan

All the existing benefits, including Prime delivery, Prime Music, and early access to sales, will continue unchanged. For those on Prime Lite, which is priced at ₹799 per year, the ad-supported experience will continue as usual, allowing access to Prime Video’s full library on a single device in 720p HD.

Via