Amazon wants you to go shopping when you pause a show on Prime Video, despite a subscription

Amazon Prime Video has some great movies and TV shows you can stream. However, the service has been in the limelight recently due to the rise in subscription prices. If you don’t want to pay the higher prices, you can stick with the lower pricing with the condition that you now get ads while streaming content. This ad-supported streaming tier is about to become infested with shopping ads now, as Amazon is introducing new ad formats.

Amazon Ads has announced new interactive and shoppable ad formats for Prime Video (h/t ArsTechnica). In the upcoming broadcast year (i.e., from September 1), Amazon says brands can use “shoppable carousel ads” during ad breaks in shows and movies on Prime Video. There are also “interactive pause” and “brand trivia ads” that brands can use during TV shows, movies, and live sports streams.

• Shoppable carousel ads: Brands can present a sliding lineup of their products for customers to explore and add to their carts. The ad automatically pauses for customers to browse and resumes when ad interaction has stopped.
• Interactive pause ads: Customers can engage with the brand when they pause a show or movie. When viewers pause the content, they will see a translucent ad featuring brand messaging and imagery and “Add to Cart” and “Learn More” buttons. The interactive overlay is present as long as the content is paused, likely longer than a traditional ad break. Customers can add displayed products to their Amazon carts, get more information sent to their email, or resume their stream.
• Interactive brand trivia ads: These ads present factoids about the brand while giving the customer the opportunity to shop on Amazon, learn more about services and products, and unlock rewards. Customers can add products to their cart, request information via email, and claim rewards like Amazon shopping credits when purchasing eligible items.

The real devil lies in the details here, especially those not mentioned. Customers will be served these new ad formats even if they pay Amazon for a subscription, as Amazon Prime Video’s base subscription of $8.99 per month serves ads. You must shell out another $3 monthly if you don’t want ads.

Making matters worse, Prime Video’s ad-supported subscription tier does not support Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos 3D sound. It only supports a maximum of 4K resolution, HDR10, and Dolby Digital 5.1. If you value your content experience, the ad-supported subscription no longer feels good enough.