Key Takeaways
- Prime Video’s ad-free subscription tier jumps from $2.99 to $4.99 monthly—a $2 price hike
- Amazon rebrands the premium tier as “Prime Video Ultra,” set to debut on April 10, 2026
- Ultra tier enhancements include: up to 5 simultaneous streams (previously 3), 100 device downloads (previously 25), and 4K/UHD with Dolby Atmos access
- Standard Prime subscription pricing remains unchanged at $14.99/month or $139 annually
- Yearly Ultra subscription available for $45.99, providing 23% savings compared to monthly billing
Amazon has announced a significant price adjustment for its premium ad-free streaming service. Beginning April 10, 2026, U.S. customers wanting to stream Prime Video without advertisements will need to pay $4.99 monthly, marking an increase from the current $2.99 fee. This represents a substantial 67% jump in pricing.
Amazon is removing 4K streaming from Prime Video in April and putting it behind its ad-free tier paywall
The ad-free tier is also increasing from $3 to $5 a month pic.twitter.com/qOH8kaOiRh
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) March 14, 2026
Along with the price adjustment comes a brand refresh. The e-commerce giant is renaming this premium offering “Prime Video Ultra,” creating a more defined separation between it and the standard Prime Video service bundled with regular Prime memberships.
According to Amazon, the increased cost reflects substantial feature improvements. Ultra subscribers will enjoy up to five devices streaming simultaneously, an upgrade from the previous three-device limit. The download capacity for offline viewing expands dramatically from 25 to 100 titles, while subscribers gain exclusive access to 4K/UHD resolution and Dolby Atmos sound quality.
Regular Prime membership fees remain stable. Customers continue paying $14.99 monthly or $139 yearly with Prime Video access included. The standard package now incorporates Dolby Vision support and four simultaneous streams, improved from the previous three-stream allowance.
Amazon provides an economical option for long-term subscribers: Prime Video Ultra at $45.99 annually. This translates to approximately $3.83 monthly—representing a 23% discount compared to month-to-month payments.
Standard Prime Benefits Breakdown
Prime subscribers who opt out of the Ultra upgrade will continue seeing advertisements during content playback. Standard streaming supports HD and HDR formats, now enhanced with newly introduced Dolby Vision capabilities. Download limits increase to 50 titles (up from 25), and concurrent streaming expands to four devices.
Essentially, Amazon is enhancing the basic subscription tier while repositioning premium capabilities under the Ultra designation at a higher price point.
The company first integrated advertisements into Prime Video during early 2024. This decision generated considerable subscriber dissatisfaction and prompted a class-action lawsuit, which courts subsequently dismissed.
In Amazon’s latest earnings disclosure, Prime Video reported reaching over 315 million average ad-supported viewers worldwide. This figure represents substantial growth from 200 million viewers recorded in April 2024—a remarkable 57% increase within less than twelve months.
Advertising Revenue Strategy
Amazon’s advertising division continues expanding rapidly. The corporation generated $68.6 billion in advertising revenue throughout 2025, representing 22% annual growth. This positions Amazon as the third-largest player in digital advertising, trailing only Google and Meta.
A larger ad-supported viewer base translates directly to more valuable advertising inventory. By pricing the ad-free alternative at a premium level, Amazon maintains a robust audience for its advertising platform.
Amazon has not released specific subscriber counts for its current ad-free tier. However, the company confirms that overall Prime membership continues experiencing positive growth.
This pricing modification currently applies exclusively to United States customers. Amazon has not announced implementation timelines for international markets.
Prime Video Ultra becomes available April 10, 2026, priced at $4.99 monthly or $45.99 annually.
