Amazon Prime to Restrict 4K Streaming Access with New Additional Fee

Amazon Prime subscribers will soon find themselves unable to stream 4K movies, shows, or sports events without shelling out an additional $5 a month for a new “Ultra” tier. This change marks another step in the trend of Prime memberships losing their value.

On March 13, Amazon Prime revealed that it would be rebranding its “Ad Free” subscription to a new “Amazon Prime Ultra Video” option, along with a price hike. Previously, Amazon Prime Video offered an ad-free experience for $3 a month, which removed ads from streams of movies and shows. Now, this ad-free option is being rebranded as “Prime Video Ultra” and will cost $5 a month starting next month in the U.S. This rebranding also means that 4K streaming access will be removed from the standard Prime membership and placed behind the new Ultra paywall.

The Prime Video Ad Free subscription will transition to Prime Video Ultra for $4.99 a month, allowing up to five concurrent streams, up to 100 downloads, and exclusive access to 4K/UHD streaming.

“Delivering ad-free streaming with premium features requires significant investment,” Amazon stated in a blog post about the change. “This structure aligns with other major streaming services while ensuring customers have the flexibility to choose how they want to watch.”

The Amazon Ultra option is set to launch in the U.S. on April 10. While Prime members will still have access to the same library of shows and movies, they will no longer be able to enjoy them in 4K. Amazon has indicated that the price of Prime itself will not increase as part of this change—at least for now.

It’s becoming increasingly frustrating to hear multibillion-dollar companies claim they need to raise prices and cut services while they continue to rake in millions every minute and pay top executives more than some countries’ entire GDP. Maybe, just maybe, if they paid their executives a bit less, they could offer a more affordable service to customers who are willing to support them. Just a thought. Anyway, don’t forget to check out those 4K UHD movies.