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Amazon’s Prime Video — home of Clarkson’s Farm, The Rings of Power and other streaming hits — will introduce ads to its local service next year.
The move will put more pressure on TVNZ, which recently reported an $85 million loss, followed by rounds of job cuts. The embattled broadcaster’s comeback plan includes a goal to boost digital advertising revenue from about a quarter of total advertising revenue in 2023 to half by 2028 (it grew 8% in FY2024, a slowdown on FY2023′s 14% growth).
Amazon Prime Video's lineup includes hit original series such as Clarkson's Farm and Rings of Power.
TVNZ+ had a relatively clear run at the ad streaming market — at least in terms of more traditional rivals and streamers — until Sky introduced ads to its Neon service in January. Netflix and Disney have introduced ads in offshore markets, but have so far unveiled no plans for New Zealand.
Sky held the price of Neon’s basic plan at $12.99 a month in January, but with ads now appearing before content or when the pause button was pushed.
To escape most of the ads — bar when pushing pause — required Neon subs to upgrade to a standard plan, the price of which increased from $17.99 to $19.99 in the New Year.
Sky, which has enjoyed initial success with its introduction of ads to Neon (helping to push its ad revenue up 13% in FY2024, defying an overall slowdown in the segment), will also be keeping a close eye on Amazon Prime’s ad push.
Amazon has yet to reveal the pricing for Prime Video after it introduces ads, but across the Tasman it took a similar approach to Sky with Neon. Those who stuck with their (formerly ad-free) A$9.99 ($10.99) a month plan would see ads. Those who paid A$2.99 extra a month would get an ad-free Amazon Prime experience.
“We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers,” an Amazon spokesperson said.
Prime Video currently costs Kiwis $10.99 a month. Amazon says an ad-free option will be added once ads arrive, but has yet to reveal pricing.
The series 7 crew of Hayu's Below Deck, featuring Kiwi Kevin Dobson - who emerged as the villain in the trashy but compulsive-viewing show. While Netflix has the S7, Hayu has every episode of every series. Photo Bravo/NBCU via Getty Images
Add-on subs
In the here and now, Amazon has introduced two new features for Prime Video customers in New Zealand: The ability to rent or buy thousands of movies directly from its app,, includng the likes of Deadpool & Wolverine and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, plus 14 “add-on subscriptions” (detailed in full below).
An add-on sub will cost the same as if you subscribe to a service on the web then watch it on, say, your new Sky Box.
But Amazon says you’ll be able to subscribe to the add-ons from within its Prime Video app. They’ll be single billing, a single sign-on, and unified search and watchlist features across all your content.
Amazon Prime Video’s add-on subscriptions
Amazon says it’s add-on subscriptions will include, in its own words:
MGM+ ($5.99/month): MGM offers viewers big franchises, beloved classics, fan favourites and box office hits from MGM’s storied library. Titles include Fargo, The Terminator, Stargate collection, 21 Jump Street, and Me Before You, among many others. [Amazon bought MGM for US$8.5 billion ($14.2b) in 2022].
Rialto ($3.99/month): Rialto is a 100% New Zealand-owned service offering a curated selection of high-quality independent films and documentaries designed to inspire, inform, and entertain. Top titles include A Lion Returns, Little Woods, and Stray.
Hayu ($8.99/month): Hayu is the all-reality, on-demand subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service from NBCUniversal. With hundreds of shows and thousands of episodes, diehard reality fans can stream their favourite reality series — including Vanderpump Rules and the Below Deck and US The Real Housewives franchises — the same day as the US an ad-free.
Lionsgate+ ($3.99/month): Lionsgate+ is a premium streaming service bringing fresh perspectives through bold storytelling and hit movies. Popular series include The Power Universe, Spartacus, Black Sails, Becoming Elizabeth and The White Queen, as well as access to hundreds of movies including Twilight, Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2, American Psycho, La La Land and Saw.
Crunchyroll (Fan membership $9.99/month): Crunchyroll brings anime to fans across 200+ countries and territories with the world’s largest dedicated anime streaming library, featuring over 24,000 hours and 1,300 series and films. Beyond streaming, Crunchyroll immerses fans through theatrical releases, live events, games, exclusive merchandise, and news, making it the ultimate destination for all things anime.
beIN SPORTS ($14.99/month): beIN SPORTS is the destination for international football enthusiasts and will include football leagues such as La Liga, Bundesliga, Carabao Cup, English Football League, Serie A, Scottish Football League.
DocPlay ($8.99/month): DocPlay is the destination for almost 2000 titles including Academy Award-winners, audience favourites, bingeable series, and local and international short films. There’s a documentary for every taste: explore an expansive range of categories including history, politics, music, sports and true crime. Top titles include Ken Burns’ The Vietnam War (Director’s Cut); David Farrier’s Tickled; and the Oscar-winner 20 Days in Mariupol.
The Great Courses ($7.99/month): The Great Courses Signature Collection offers access to the most popular courses from the world’s best professors and experts in history, science, philosophy, literature, religion, travel, and more. The Great Courses is the leading global media brand for lifelong learning and personal enrichment.
Stingray All Good Vibes ($7.99/month): Stingray All Good Vibes brings customers on-demand sold-out concert performances by today’s biggest headliners, the greatest jazz performances, and a collection of beautiful classical music concerts, operas, and ballets from around the world. Music fans can also sing their hearts out to exceptional karaoke and unwind to beautiful imagery from the four corners of the globe.
iWonder ($6.99/month): iWonder is a leading documentary and factual entertainment service. Its critically acclaimed documentaries include American Dharma, A Song Called Hate, The Kleptocrats and Nisman: The Prosecutor, The President and The Spy.
OUTtv ($3.99/month): OUTtv is the world’s first and leading LGBTQ+ television network and streaming service with over 2000 hours of content. Top titles include Glow Up, For the Love of Dilfs, and Sew Fierce.
Mubi ($14.99/month): MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. Mubi makes, acquires, curates, and champions visionary films, connecting them to audiences all over the world.
Love Nature ($3.99/month): Love Nature is a global specialty television channel offering wildlife and nature documentaries and series from around the world. Top titles include Africa’s Hunt, Jaguar Journals, and Secrets of Wild Australia.
PlayKids Learning ($4.99/month): PlayKids Learning is an educational kids service where learning and play become one. It offers hundreds of episodes of learning shows, nursery rhymes and songs, top titles include Alphablocks, Cutie Pugs and Numberblocks.
Bloomberg TV: Available for all Prime Video members, Bloomberg TV delivers business and markets news, data, analysis, and video to the world, featuring stories from Businessweek and Bloomberg News.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
