The cost to stream Amazon‘s Prime Video service without ads is about to get a bit more expensive.
Amazon said Friday that it is rebranding the ad-free tier of Prime Video to “Prime Video Ultra,” adding new features and functionality even as it raises the monthly price from $2.99 per month to $4.99 per month.
Alongside the price hike, Prime Video Ultra subscribers will get exclusive access to 4K/UHD streaming, the ability to have five concurrent streams (up from three), and up to 100 downloads (up from 25). Amazon will also be upping the number of downloads on the standard Prime Video plan to 50, and the number of concurrent streams to 4.
The changes will go into effect on April 10.
Prime Video, of course, is included with an Amazon Prime membership, and as a standalone subscription for $14.99 per month. In 2024 Amazon added advertising to Prime Video, creating the new ad-free tier as a premium add-on.
4K video and more advanced premium audio have become a big selling point for premium video subscriptions (see Netflix’s premium plan), though the price hike underscores how all streaming platforms are seeking to more effectively monetize their offerings. In the case of Prime Video, the platform added NBA games this season, in a significant expansion of its sports portfolio.
