Amazon Increases Price for Ad-Free Prime Video Plan, Adds “Ultra” to Brand Name
Amazon has announced a price increase for its ad-free video streaming service, rebranded as Prime Video Ultra. The new pricing will take effect on April 10, raising the monthly fee for ad-free viewing to $4.99, up from its previous rate of $2.99.
This move comes a little over two years after Amazon began integrating ads into Prime Video content. Unlike competitors that offer both ad-free and ad-supported pricing tiers, Amazon opted for an advertising model for all Prime subscribers, offering an opt-out option for an additional fee.
The standard Prime subscription will remain unchanged at $14.99 per month, or $139 annually.
It is important to note that comparing Prime Video to other streaming platforms is nuanced, as a Prime membership provides additional benefits such as free shipping on e-commerce orders and discounts at Whole Foods.
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In a blog post, the company stated, “Delivering ad-free streaming with premium features requires significant investment, and this structure aligns with other major streaming services while ensuring customers have the flexibility to choose how they want to watch.”
Both the basic Prime subscription and Prime Video Ultra will now offer increased download capacities. The regular subscription will allow for 50 downloads for offline viewing, while Prime Video Ultra will increase that limit to 100 downloads, both rising from a previous limit of 25.
The number of concurrent streams will also see an increase, with regular Prime subscriptions supporting four streams and Prime Video Ultra allowing for five. Previously, both plans supported three concurrent streams.
Amazon’s Prime program is widely regarded as one of the most successful customer loyalty initiatives to date, boasting over 200 million subscribers as of 2021. The annual membership fee saw a $20 increase to $139 in 2022.
