AMAZON is increasing a key subscription cost for Prime Video – and Brits could be affected soon.
The tech and online retail giant introduced an extra fee for people who want to .
Amazon has renamed its ad-free plan Amazon Prime UltraCredit: Getty
You’ll soon have to pay extra for the privilege of 4K and UHD qualityCredit: Getty
That was priced at £2.99 / $2.99 per month on top of your usual subscription cost but two years on and the -owned firm is hiking the price.
So far the subscription jump has only been announced in the US.
However, these sorts of changes often follow suit in the UK and other countries not too long after.
The last time the main Prime subscription cost was increased in the US – in February 2022 – it only took seven months for the same to happen across the pond.
Paolo Pescatore, an expert from PP Foresight, says is clearly testing how far it can push Prime Video monetisation.
“The US move feels less like a one-off and more like a blueprint for what could come elsewhere,” he told The Sun.
” I would expect the UK to be in scope at some point, especially as Amazon looks to monetise premium features more effectively, fund larger content bets, and drive users towards higher-value tiers.
“The question is not really if, but when.
“For now, there is no UK announcement, but later in 2026 would feel like the most plausible window if Amazon believes it has enough added value to justify charging more.”
US users have been warned that ad-free will cost $4.99 per month from April 10, up by $2.
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But that’s not the only big change.
movies and TV series used to be included with Prime as standard – now it’ll be exclusive to the $4.99 plan, which has been renamed Prime Video Ultra.
However, users will be allowed up to five concurrent streams, which is up from the current cap of three.
And you’re allowed to download 100 licensed content items for offline viewing on your devices, which is also an increase from the 25 allowed previously.
Amazon has emphasised that there is no change in cost to the main Amazon Prime membership.
“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,” the company explained.
“Prime members will continue to enjoy the core Prime Video benefit, including HD/HDR and now Dolby Vision, at no additional cost with their Prime membership.“
There is also the option to save a bit of money on the ad-free Prime Video Ultra plan by paying for a year upfront for $45.99, which works out at a 23 per cent discount from the monthly fee.
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