A streaming add-on that allows Amazon Prime members to watch most on-demand shows and movies without commercial interruption has grown in popularity among streamers over the past year, according to data released by Antenna on Wednesday.
At least 11 million Prime members in the United States are paying for the privilege of streaming on-demand shows and movies without commercials through Prime Video, analysts with Antenna revealed during a webinar attended by The Desk.
Amazon allows Prime members to watch content through Prime Video as part of their $15 per month or $150 per year membership, which also includes free one-day or two-day shipping on items and other perks like music streaming and cloud storage for photos.
Historically, Prime Video content was available to stream without commercials, but Amazon switched things up in early 2024 by making the ad-supported plan the default for all Prime members unless they agreed to pay an extra $3 per month or $36 per year for the privilege of removing ads.
During the first quarter of 2024, few Amazon members took advantage of the perk, with around 5 million streamers paying the extra monthly or annual fee to remove commercial breaks, Antenna reported. Over time, the add-on has become more popular — the number of customers paying for ad-free Prime Video access in the U.S. increased 18.5 percent between the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024 and Q1 2025, Antenna reported.
The number of streamers who are paying for ad-free access to Prime Video is likely higher, because Antenna’s data is based on opt-in financial transactions, including streaming-related charges reflected on bank and credit card statements.
While the commercial-free add-on is growing in popularity, the overwhelming majority of Prime members are still streaming content with ads, according to data released by Amazon.
Earlier this month, Amazon said the number of people watching content with ads in the U.S. is around 130 million, up from 115 million streamers reported in the second half of last year.
Even when customers opt to pay extra for commercial-free streaming, some content offered through Prime Video still has ads, including live sports and other events. Content from Freevee, Amazon’s free streaming platforms, also streams with ads when accessed through Prime Video, as do shows and movies offered through third-party apps like AMC Plus, Paramount Plus and Max when streamers opt for the ad-supported plans of those services.
