Amazon.com Inc. AMZN on Friday said that its Prime Video shows and films would include “limited advertisements” starting early next year, and that it would roll out a new ad-free version of the service for an extra $2.99 per month in the U.S. Amazon said it made the move in order to “continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time.” And it follows steps taken by rival streaming platforms to introduce ads, as investors push for better profitability. The online retailer said that “no action” was required for current Prime members, adding: “We’re not making changes in 2024 to the current price of Prime membership.” The ads will arrive in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Canada early next year, followed by France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia later in 2024, Amazon said. The company said it was aiming for fewer ads than its rivals, and noted that live content, like sports, would continue to have advertising. Shares of Amazon were largely unchanged after hours on Friday.
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