Amazon’s Alexa+ upgrade comes with new voices. Please listen.
Amazon’s virtual assistant has been updated with new voices with the launch of Alexa+.
Amazon will nearly double the price of its ad-free Prime Video subscriptions, raising prices by $2 a month in the U.S., the tech giant announced on March 13.
Amazon says ad-free Prime Video will cost $4.99 per month, nearly double the previous price of $2.99 per month. But the new price isn’t the only change. Amazon will name this ad-free slot “Prime Video Ultra.”
“Delivering ad-free streaming with premium features requires significant investment, and this structure aligns with other major streaming services while giving customers flexibility in how they watch,” Amazon said in a news release.
The company also plans to add new features to its new, more expensive subscriptions, including the ability to watch Prime Video on up to five devices simultaneously, according to the release. Previously, 4K streaming was available to all Prime Video subscribers. It will now be reserved for those on the $4.99 plan.
Amazon is looking to increase profits from Prime Video
The company first introduced advertising to its Prime Video streaming service in 2024.
At the time of the 2023 announcement, Amazon said that breaking up shows and movies with ads would allow it to “continue to invest in compelling content and continue to grow that investment over time.”
Since ads were introduced, all Prime Video customers who already paid for an Amazon Prime subscription had to pay an additional fee (at the time, the fee was $2.99) to remove ads on the streaming platform.
According to CNBC, Amazon Prime membership continues to grow. Amazon said in its earnings call last month that Prime Video averaged more than 315 million ad-supported viewers worldwide, up from 200 million in 2024.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.
