Amazon has inserted ads into its standard Prime Video subscription, sparking outrage among viewers. A class-action lawsuit is now taking shape in Germany.
In early 2024, Prime Video changed its standard plan in the US, UK, Germany and Canada to suddenly include ad breaks. It costs an extra 3 Euro or 3 dollars per month to remove the ads.
This contrasts with the model used by Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and others, who have introduced ads through a new, cheaper ad-supported streaming plan.
Is Amazon's change legal?
Germans in particular have opposed Amazon's move, and in December 2025 a court in Munich ruled against the company, according to German media outlet 4KFilme. Amazon plans to appeal.
- "This is a very important ruling. It shows that the additional ads on Amazon Prime Video could not be introduced without the consent of affected consumers. According to the consumer center, members still have the right to the ad-free option at no extra cost," said Ramona Pop from the board of Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (Germany's consumer association).
The class-action lawsuit
Now a class-action lawsuit is forming, with more than 200,000 German consumers having signed up already.
They demand that Prime Video reimburse 2.99 Euro for each month since the introduction of ads in early 2024.
This could potentially cost Amazon over 1.8 billion Euro, as a third lawsuit demands all profits from the ads returned. It is estimated that there are over 20 million Prime subscribers in Germany.
Implications for European rollout?
These cases could affect how ads are rolled out on Prime Video in the future. Will Amazon stick to its original model once ads eventually arrive in more European countries?
Prime Video shows many types of ads, from classic ad breaks to pause ads that appear when a movie is paused.
- Sources: 4KFilme, VZBV
