Amazon is taking a bold step in the evolution of streaming advertising with the introduction of interactive ads on its Prime Video service. According to reports from March 15, 2025, the e-commerce giant is testing several new ad formats that could significantly change how viewers interact with advertisements on the platform. This development comes after Amazon already introduced basic ads to its Prime Video service, requiring subscribers to pay an additional fee to maintain an ad-free viewing experience.
The New Ad Formats Being Tested
Amazon's latest advertising initiative introduces three distinct types of interactive ad experiences, each designed to create more engaging commercial opportunities within the streaming platform:
1. Interactive Product Ads
The most innovative of the new formats, interactive product ads, will allow viewers to directly interact with products featured in advertisements. When a product appears in an ad—for example, a watch worn by an actor—viewers will have the option to click on the item and add it directly to their Amazon shopping cart.
This creates a seamless connection between the viewing and shopping experiences, effectively turning any advertisement into a potential point of sale. This format represents a significant evolution from passive advertising to active commerce integration within the streaming environment.
2. Pause Screen Ads
Amazon is also testing advertisements that appear when viewers pause their content. Rather than simply displaying a static frame from the paused show or movie, the platform will use this screen real estate to display targeted advertisements.
Pause screen ads take advantage of a natural break in viewing, potentially making them less intrusive than ads that interrupt content. However, they do represent another surface within the streaming experience that will now contain advertising material.
3. Carousel Ads
The third new format being tested is carousel ads, which will display various products as viewers scroll through using their remote control. This format appears designed to encourage browsing behavior similar to shopping on Amazon's website, but integrated directly into the streaming interface.
Carousel ads could potentially appear between episodes, during natural breaks in content, or as part of dedicated advertising sections within the Prime Video interface.
Geographic Testing and Rollout
According to available information, these new ad formats will initially be enabled for users in the United Kingdom. This suggests Amazon is taking a phased approach to implementing these features, likely to gather data on user engagement and response before potentially expanding to other markets.
The selection of the UK as a test market may reflect Amazon's strategy of testing new features in markets with strong e-commerce adoption but somewhat smaller than the US market, allowing for more controlled evaluation before wider deployment.
User Experience Implications
The introduction of these new ad formats raises important questions about the evolution of the Prime Video user experience:
Increasing Commercialization
For subscribers who already expressed dissatisfaction with the introduction of basic advertising on Prime Video, these interactive formats represent a further commercialization of the viewing experience. The integration of shopping functionality directly into the streaming platform blurs the line between entertainment and retail in ways that some viewers may find intrusive.
Value Proposition Considerations
When Amazon initially introduced ads to Prime Video, it offered subscribers the option to pay an additional fee to maintain an ad-free experience. It remains to be seen whether these new interactive ad formats will be included in that existing ad-free tier or if they might be treated differently due to their interactive nature.
Conclusion
Amazon's testing of interactive ads represents a significant evolution in how streaming platforms blend entertainment and commerce. By creating direct pathways from viewing to shopping, Amazon is leveraging its unique position as both a major retailer and content provider.
For Prime subscribers, particularly those in the UK where testing is initially taking place, these changes will introduce new dimensions to the viewing experience. How viewers respond to these innovations will likely influence not only Amazon's approach but potentially the broader streaming industry's advertising strategies.
As these features move from testing to potential wider implementation, both subscribers and industry observers will be watching closely to see how Amazon balances commercial opportunities with user experience considerations in this next phase of streaming monetization.