Amazon Prime Video to Introduce Interactive Pause Ads and Shoppable Carousel Ads

Highlights

• Amazon Prime Video to feature interactive pause ads and shoppable carousel ads.
• Pause ads activate on screen during viewer pauses to promote direct shopping.
• Shoppable carousel ads appear during commercial breaks for instant purchases.
• New ad features to launch exclusively in the US market by end of broadcast year.

If you hate ads, you are obviously not a minority.

Now US users will need to prepare themselves for some more tough luck.

Amazon is ramping up advertising on its Prime Video streaming service with some intrusive new ad experiences on the horizon.

Just months after first rolling out commercials on Prime Video, the company now plans to debut interactive pause ads and shoppable carousel ads during show breaks.

From Scharon Harding at Ars Technica: Those who opted for Prime Video with commercials will soon see shoppable carousel ads, interactive pause ads, and interactive brand trivia ads, as Amazon calls them. Amazon said that advertisers could buy these new displays to be shown “across the vast majority of content on Prime Video, wherever it’s streamed.” All the new ad formats allow a viewer to place advertised products in their Amazon cart.

Ads While Pausing on Amazon Prime Video

The new pause ads will automatically activate when viewers hit pause, displaying a translucent overlay that allows users to browse and directly add promoted products to their Amazon shopping cart.

Prime Video will also introduce shoppable carousel ads during regular commercial breaks that let viewers click to purchase items.

According to Amazon’s ad sales VP Alan Moss, these “innovative experiences” are intended to help brands better engage streaming audiences.

However, they essentially amount to layering ads on top of the ads viewers are already seeing.

The move extends Amazon’s bigger push to monetize Prime Video through advertising after recently launching an ad-supported basic tier for $8.99 per month or $14.99 per month for Prime members.

An ad-free premium tier is available for an extra $2.99 monthly fee.

Emulating Hulu’s Model

Amazon isn’t the first streamer to experiment with disruptive pause ads.

Hulu introduced similar capabilities in 2019 that have since been adopted by YouTube as well.

But the e-commerce giant’s shoppable video ads leverage its retail ecosystem in a more overt way.

For now, these new Prime Video ad formats will initially roll out only in the United States market during the upcoming broadcast year ending August 31st.

However, the rise of ad-supported streaming suggests it’s likely only a matter of time before such interruptive paid promotions proliferate in other countries like India as well.

The worst is yet to come, as media companies become more reliant on advertising for monetizing their streaming businesses.

Viewers might just have to get used to an ad experience that’s even more intrusive across more services and platforms in the years to come.

What ad changes are coming to Amazon?

Amazon outlined three new interactive, shoppable advertising formats:

• Carousel ads, which will pop up in a sliding lineup during Prime Video ad breaks.
• Viewers can browse through and shop for related products on Amazon, which will automatically pause the video advertisement.
• Pause ads, which will be visible when a show, movie or live sport is paused.
• The translucent ads will feature brand messaging and imagery, along with interactive options like “Add to Cart” and “Learn More.”
• Customers can add the product to their Amazon cart or have more information sent to their email by interacting with the ad with their remote.
• Brand trivia ads, which share facts about the brand with viewers while also giving them opportunities to add the product to their Amazon cart, learn more about the product and unlock rewards like Amazon shopping credits.

FAQs

What new advertising features is Amazon Prime Video introducing?

Amazon is set to introduce interactive pause ads and shoppable carousel ads on Prime Video, which will allow viewers to interact with and purchase products directly during their viewing experience.

How do the new interactive pause ads work on Amazon Prime Video?

When viewers pause their video on Prime Video, an overlay will appear, displaying ads that allow users to browse and add products to their Amazon cart directly from the pause screen.

What are shoppable carousel ads on Amazon Prime Video?

During regular commercial breaks, Prime Video will display shoppable carousel ads that enable viewers to click through and purchase items instantly, integrating a seamless shopping experience with video streaming.

Will the new ad features on Prime Video be available globally?

Initially, these new ad formats will roll out only in the United States market during the upcoming broadcast year ending August 31st, with potential future expansion to other markets.

Also Read: Amazon Prime Video Ads Policy: Company To Introduce Ads in Paid Plans; Offers Ad-Free Option for Additional Cost