Judge squashes Prime Video ads lawsuit

A judge has permanently dismissed a class action lawsuit against Amazon's Prime Video streaming platform.

In a complaint filed in February 2024, plaintiffs alleged that the service's sudden addition of ads constituted an illegal stealth price increase. But US District Judge Barbara J. Rothstein shut the case down last week, saying that the addition of commercials didn't constitute a price change and were instead a modification to the existing subscription package.

The court said that Amazon's terms and conditions specify that Prime's package could change over time.

"Amazon's introduction of advertisements to Prime Video was not a price increase; it was a benefit modification, and such modification was specifically contemplated and authorized by the parties' governing agreements," the judge ruled. She had previously disagreed with the case a few times already. Plaintiffs are no longer allowed to try their hand at the case again.

So ads on Prime aren't going anywhere. In fact, we're likely to see more. In June, an exclusive report from Adweek showed that Amazon will soon double its ads. To avoid this, users can opt to pay an extra $3 a month.