Amazon slaps Prime Video users with 67%, raising prices to $4.99 starting April 10

Amazon has increased the price of its ad-free Prime Video by 67%, rebranding the commercial-free option as “Prime Video Ultra.”

The move urged subscribers to move towards an ad-supported future.

The price is raised from $2.99 to $4.99 and will be implemented from April 10. Users who want to stream without commercials have to pay for their standard Prime memberships, which remain $14.99 monthly or $139 annually.

The company revamped the package by introducing it as a new “Ultra tier” with upgraded features. 

The upgraded features include increasing streams from three to five, jumping download limits from 25 to 100 titles, and offering access to 4K and UHD streaming quality.

However, it is important to note that these upgraded features are offered in basic plans by competitors like Netflix and Disney+.

While announcing the change, Amazon said: “Delivering ad-free streaming with premium features requires significant investment.”

The hike comes two years after the company controversially changed all its Prime Video users to an ad-supported experience. 

This forced users who want an ad-free experience to pay more. 

This is part of a wider trend in the streaming industry, with platforms increasingly relying on ads rather than subscriptions as their main source of revenue.

Earlier, major streaming giants such as HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount, and Apple TV+ also increased their prices.