Amazon Prime Video has sparked discontent in its subscribers by adding ads to its standard Prime Video subscription. To get out of the ads, a higher subscription is needed.
With viewers up in arms, Germany is taking legal action against the streaming platform.
Ads with “Standard” Plan
In early 2024, Amazon Prime Video changed its standard plan in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada to include ad breaks.
If you want to watch ad-free, viewers are now required to pay an additional fee of $3 or 2.99 Euro a month on top of the base subscription. This differs from subscriptions on popular platforms like Disney+, HBO Max, and Netflix, which introduced ads through a cheaper ad-supported plan.
Prime Video has gone the opposite direction, forcing its viewers to watch ads or pay more to escape them.
German Lawsuit
With viewers enraged with having to pay more for no ads, one particular country is taking legal action. Germans in particular have opposed Amazon’s decision with ads, leading to a pivotal court ruling in December 2025.
A Munich court ruled that Amazon’s implementation of ads without consumer consent was illegal. Amazon plans to appeal the ruling.
Ramona Pop, a representative from Germany’s consumer association, emphasized the importance of the ruling, stating, “This is a very important ruling. It shows that the additional ads on Amazon Prime Video could not be introduced without the consent of affected consumers. According to the consumer center, members still have the right to the ad-free option at no extra cost.”
Significance of the Lawsuit
The lawsuit has been making waves in Germany, with over 200,000 German individuals joining the class-action lawsuit.
They are all seeking reimbursement for the 2.99 Euro for each month since the ads were introduced on Amazon Prime Video.
If the lawsuit goes through, this could amount to an estimated financial liability of over 1.8 billion Euro for the streaming platform.
Future Advertisements
Currently, Amazon Prime Video features many types of ads, from ad breaks to pause ads that appear when a movie or TV show is paused on the screen.
The ongoing legal battle and determination could greatly impact how Amazon continues to use advertisements on its platform and in other European markets.
Will Amazon stick to its original model, or will it instill change for ad versus ad-free subscription plans? Only time will tell.