There was a time when OTT platforms were adopted with the hope that cheap and convenient entertainment would be available here without any interruption and advertising. But now it seems that this dream is slowly breaking down. Amazon Prime Video has announced the implementation of a new rule in India from June 17, under which users will now have to pay extra money to watch ad-free content.

This add-on plan will be 129 per month or 699 annually, which is different from the existing 1499 annual subscription. That is, even if a viewer just wants to remove ads, he will have to pay a new price. This change is somewhere a shock to the audience, especially when earlier the biggest attraction of OTT was the ad-free experience.

Countries like the US already have ads running on Prime Video for 2 to 6 minutes per hour, and it is believed that the same model will now be gradually implemented in India as well. This trend shows that OTT platforms have now entered a new era, where the main focus is not user experience but revenue.

Other giants like Netflix and HBO Max have already put indirect pressure on viewers by banning password sharing. Now if ads are also made mandatory, will people really be able to stay on OTT? As the festival season begins after September and viewers turn to home entertainment, such rules can put an additional burden on their pockets. The question is, will viewers accept this change or will the disillusionment with OTT start increasing rapidly?

Ad-free entertainment is no longer a promise, but a premium feature, and a price will have to be paid for it.