For the record, Amazon first announced in September 2023 that ads would be coming to Prime Video. Even if you don’t upgrade your Prime Video plan, any movies or TV shows that you purchase or rent on Prime Video will be ad-free. Amazon added commercials to Prime Video for the same reason most of the other big streamers did: It wants more revenue.

The channels are available whether or not customers are signed up for paid Prime Video subscriptions. Prime Video’s free programming options just got a major boost. The streamer already carries hundreds of free streaming channels which were formerly shunted to the now defunct Freevee service,