Each new episode of a series kicks off with an ad pod on all devices. Users on connected and smart TVs were initially presented with 15 to 30 seconds of pre-roll ads, but no mid-roll ads during playback. That changed when viewing content on a computer, where users were served one to two ad pods throughout a series.
It’s also worth noting that content downloaded for offline viewing does not include ads, meaning—thus far—viewers can take content on-the-go and maintain an ad-free experience.
The brands to watch for
Much of Prime Video’s initial advertising included Amazon-owned brands like Ring and Blink, Prime Video content like the Kelce documentary and co-branded content with companies like Hyundai.
Amazon didn’t comment on brand participation to ADWEEK; however, companies that showed up in viewing included Zipcar, Royal Caribbean, Airbnb, Michelin Tires, TurboTax, BetMGM, Eggland’s Best, Mrs. Meyer’s, DraftKings, VRBO, Cerave, Priceline, Tinder, HubSpot, Amica, La Roche-Posay, Carnival, Travel Texas, Dior Sauvage featuring Johnny Depp, Energizer, Colgate, Eero and trailers for the upcoming Madame Web film.
And with Omdia analysis forecasting that the platform will generate more than $2 billion in additional ad revenue in 2024, plus revenue from advertising slots during live sports broadcasts, users shouldn’t be surprised to see several more brands in tow.
Frequency and targeting
Amazon also declined to comment on frequency caps. Though caps are certainly in place, ADWEEK noticed the same creative being featured several times in back-to-back ad pods, with a BetMGM commercial featuring Vanessa Hudgens making frequent appearances during episodes of Reacher.
ADWEEK previously reported that the Prime Video ad tier will also offer standard demographic targeting at launch and some additional contextual and lifestyle parameters, which seemed to be the case during ADWEEK’s viewing experiment. For instance, a viewer who frequently used betting apps saw several ads featuring BetMGM and DraftKings. Others did not see those brands.
Additionally, ads can’t be skipped or fast-forwarded, and unlike Netflix, viewers can’t click through all the pods in any given episode and then go back and watch ad-free. Ads also won’t appear on kids and family programming.
Final thoughts
Overall, ADWEEK experienced minimal interruption with advertising in Prime Video, especially on television, which frequently only had a 15-second pre-roll for Amazon-owned products.
Though Amazon declined to comment on the ad-supported plan, a Prime Video blog post on the company’s website said the experience will vary based on titles, with some featuring only pre-roll ad breaks.
While Prime Video’s ad-tier launch includes only basic formats at the moment, Amazon does have a built-in framework as it runs an ads business on its Amazon Fire, Freevee and Twitch entertainment properties.
In the future, Prime Video advertisers expect to be able to find audiences using Amazon’s full arsenal of data, even taking advantage of shoppable experiences. So viewers can expect the ad-tier experience to evolve, especially following the hire of Disney exec Jeremy Helfand to head up Prime Video Advertising.
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