Amazon Overhauls Prime Video Tiers, Adds 4K Premium Option

Amazon announced on March 13 a significant overhaul to its Prime Video subscription tiers, effective April 10, 2026, in the United States. The company is retiring its current ad-free add-on, priced at $2.99 per month, and replacing it with a new premium option called Prime Video Ultra at $4.99 per month or $45.99 annually. This change locks 4K Ultra HD streaming behind the higher tier, a feature previously available to all Prime members without extra cost, while introducing enhancements to both plans amid rising content expenses.

Under the updated structure, Prime Video Ultra provides ad-free viewing, exclusive access to 4K resolution with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio, up to five simultaneous streams, and 100 offline downloads. Standard Prime members, who pay $14.99 monthly or $139 annually for the full Amazon Prime bundle, will continue to receive Prime Video at no additional fee but with limitations. Their service will include ads on most content, cap streaming at 1080p HD resolution, support Dolby Vision HDR without Dolby Atmos, allow four concurrent streams, and permit 50 downloads. Amazon noted that certain content, such as live sports events and add-on channels,...