Prime Video is making a clear shift in how it sells its streaming experience, and subscribers are now feeling the impact. The company confirmed it has officially ended its Ad Free tier as of July 2, closing the door on a popular low-cost option that removed commercials for a small monthly fee.

The Ad Free plan cost $2.99 per month and gave users uninterrupted access to most of Prime Video’s catalog. It did not apply to live sports or certain ad-supported content, but it still appealed to viewers who wanted a cleaner viewing experience without paying a premium price.

That option is now gone. In its place, Amazon has rolled out a new premium upgrade called Ultra. The company began notifying users earlier this year after announcing the change in March and launching it in April. The move signals a push toward higher-priced tiers that bundle more features into a single package.

Ultra raises the monthly cost to $4.99, but Amazon is betting the added features will justify the increase. The plan includes 4K UHD streaming and Dolby Atmos audio, which targets users with more advanced home theater setups. It also expands offline downloads from 25 to 100 titles, giving mobile users more flexibility.

The upgrade also increases simultaneous streams to five, up from three under the old Ad Free plan. That change is aimed at households with multiple viewers who want to watch different content at the same time without interruption.

Amazon is also offering an annual Ultra plan for $45.99, which it says provides about 23 percent in savings compared to paying monthly. Still, the new tier is not standalone. Users must first subscribe to the standard Prime Video plan, which costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year and includes ads by default.

The standard plan allows up to four concurrent streams, up to 50 downloads, and video quality capped at 1080p. It is also bundled with an Amazon Prime membership, which continues to drive much of the platform’s total subscriber count.

Prime Video remains one of the largest streaming platforms in the world. Industry estimates place Netflix at roughly 325 million subscribers globally, while Prime Video sits in second place with about 200 million users, many tied to Prime memberships rather than standalone subscriptions.

Amazon’s latest move reflects a broader trend across streaming. Platforms are moving away from simple pricing models and toward tiered systems that push users to pay more for premium features. For Prime Video subscribers, the message is clear. The low-cost ad-free option is gone, and the future of streaming on the platform now comes at a higher price.

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