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Amazon is making it easier than ever for users of its video streaming service to buy directly from commercials. The e-commerce giant announced Tuesday that it’s introducing three new interactive ad formats later this fall to its Prime Video service. The announcement came a week before the company is set to make its upfront presentation to advertisers.
Amazon said the new ads will be seen on its Prime Video TV shows, movies, and live sports for viewers watching on a living-room device.
The new ad formats include a shoppable carousel ad that presents viewers with sliding lineup of products. The ad automatically pauses when users interact with it to browse and add products to their Amazon cart, and resumes playing when they stop interacting with it.
Amazon is also introducing interactive pause ads that appear when viewers pause the Prime Video content they are streaming. These ads will display a translucent ad with brand messaging and “Add to Cart” and “Learn More” buttons.
And the company is also debuting interactive brand trivia ads that allow companies to share facts about their brand with viewers and give them the opportunity to add products to their cart, request more information by email, and claim rewards.
Prime Video first started streaming ads in January, following in the footsteps of other major streamers like Netflix and Disney+. Subscribers still have the option to go ad-free for an additional $3 per month, on top of the annual $139 membership fee for Prime. Amazon says its ads reach an average audience of 200 million viewers a month.
Amazon, which has been working to grow its advertising business, reported that its ad sales in the first quarter of 2024 grew 24% year-over-year to $11 billion.