Amazon has announced a restructuring of its Prime Video membership, introducing a new $4.99 monthly tier called Prime Video Ultra that offers 4K/UHD streaming and enhanced features. Starting April 10, only Ultra subscribers will have access to 4K content, while basic Prime members will be limited to HD streaming with ads, as reported by Mashable and Ars Technica.
The Ultra tier also provides support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos audio, five simultaneous streams, and up to 100 offline downloads, representing a significant upgrade over the previous ad-supported plan. This ad-free plan, previously priced between $2.99 and $3 monthly, has been rebranded and raised to $4.99 per month, according to The Verge and Deadline.
Amazon’s decision reflects a continued emphasis on video advertising, with ads now appearing on all Prime Video content outside of the Ultra tier. Deadline and Hollywood Reporter both note that this price hike and rebranding come as part of Amazon’s broader strategy to monetize its streaming service through varied membership options.
Basic Prime users streaming in HD will still gain benefits like increased concurrent streams and Dolby Vision support, but 4K content is now a premium feature locked behind the Ultra plan. Ars Technica highlights that current ad-supported subscribers who want 4K will need to upgrade to Ultra by the April 10 implementation date.
Going forward, it will be important to monitor customer response to the higher price point and the limitation of 4K streaming to the Ultra tier. How this change affects Prime Video’s subscriber growth and competition with other streaming platforms offering 4K at lower or no additional costs remains to be seen.
Prime Video
Amazon
