Amazon Prime Video subscribers in Belgium and around the globe are about to face a fresh wave of changes as the streaming landscape continues to shift under the pressures of rising costs and evolving viewer habits. Starting in April 2026, Amazon will introduce limited advertisements to its Prime Video service in Belgium, following a trend that has swept across the streaming industry in recent years. While the base price of Prime membership in Belgium will remain unchanged, those seeking an uninterrupted viewing experience will soon have to pay extra for an ad-free tier—one that comes with new features and a new name: Prime Video Ultra.
Since launching Prime in Belgium in 2021, Amazon has made significant investments in its fulfillment and transportation networks. According to Amazon, these efforts have "meaningfully expanded the selection and speed with which we could deliver items to customers." Prime members in Belgium now enjoy Same-Day and One-Day delivery on millions of items, exclusive access to deal events like Prime Day and Prime Deals Day, and unlimited streaming of both international and local content. Prime Video, a key pillar of the Prime offering, has grown to include a robust catalog featuring hit movies, acclaimed shows, and award-winning Prime Originals—all available in a single destination.
But as streaming wars intensify and the costs of producing high-quality content soar, Amazon is recalibrating its approach. As detailed by Amazon in a recent announcement, "To continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time, starting in 2026, Prime Video shows and movies will include limited advertisements in Belgium." This move mirrors the global rollout of ads on Prime Video, first introduced in 2024, and aligns with strategies adopted by other major streaming services.
For Belgian Prime members, the immediate impact is straightforward: no action is required, and there will be no change to the cost of Prime membership in 2026. However, for those who wish to avoid ads entirely, Amazon will offer a new ad-free option—Prime Video Ultra—though the price for this tier in Belgium has yet to be announced. Before the change takes effect, Amazon promises to inform Prime members about how to sign up for the ad-free experience, giving them time to make a decision that fits their viewing preferences.
Globally, the ad-free tier is getting a facelift and a price hike. Starting April 10, 2026, the ad-free service will be rebranded as Prime Video Ultra, and its monthly cost will rise from $2.99 to $4.99, according to CNBC and Amazon's own news release. Annual Prime members can opt for the Prime Video Ultra annual plan at $45.99, representing a 23% discount from the monthly rate. The Ultra tier isn't just about skipping ads—it also unlocks premium features like five concurrent streams (up from three), up to 100 downloads (up from 25), and exclusive access to 4K/UHD streaming. As Amazon put it, "Delivering ad-free streaming with premium features requires significant investment, and this structure aligns with other major streaming services while ensuring customers have the flexibility to choose how they want to watch."
Amazon's decision to introduce ads and revamp its pricing model is part of a broader trend in the streaming industry. The last two years have seen widespread price hikes across nearly every major platform. Paramount Plus, Spotify, Sling TV, HBO Max, Disney Plus, Hulu, Apple TV, Peacock, Netflix, and even niche services like Crunchyroll and Philo have all raised their prices since 2025. The so-called "streamflation" has forced consumers to rethink their subscriptions, with many opting to rotate services or look for discounts to keep costs in check.
For example, Netflix increased the price of its ad-based plan by $1 to $8 per month in January 2025 and raised its ad-free Standard plan by $2.50 to $18 per month. Disney Plus and Hulu both bumped their ad-supported tiers to $12 per month in October 2025, while HBO Max's ad-free Premium tier jumped to $23 per month. Even music and live TV streaming haven't been immune: Amazon Music Unlimited Individual plans rose to $13 per month for non-Prime members in February 2026, and Sling TV increased its Blue package prices in markets with local stations.
Despite these increases, Amazon Prime continues to offer a compelling value proposition, especially in Belgium. Prime members enjoy unlimited, free delivery on more than nine million items—over one million of which are eligible for Same-Day delivery. Exclusive deals and shopping events remain a major draw, while Prime Video’s expanding library includes Prime Originals such as The Wrecking Crew, Culpa Tuya, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, The Boys, and Young Sherlock, alongside local Dutch and French favorites like Patsers, Nordin, LOL: Qui Rit, Sort!, and Squeezie: Merci Internet. Additional perks include unlimited full-resolution photo storage and 5GB for video with Amazon Photos, as well as in-game items and a monthly Twitch subscription through Prime Gaming.
Amazon’s approach appears to be twofold: maintain the value of the core Prime membership while offering premium features to those willing to pay extra. This dual-track strategy is increasingly common across the industry, as streaming services try to balance rising production costs with the need to keep their subscriber bases happy. The company’s February earnings report highlighted the success of its ad-supported model, with Prime Video maintaining an average of more than 315 million viewers globally as of early 2026, up from 200 million in April 2024.
For Belgian viewers, the introduction of ads on Prime Video is a significant shift—but not an isolated one. As streaming platforms worldwide grapple with the realities of expensive content production and changing consumer expectations, the days of unlimited, ad-free entertainment at a bargain price may be fading fast. Still, Amazon is betting that its combination of shopping, savings, and entertainment benefits will keep Prime members loyal, even as the cost of an ad-free experience creeps upward.
Of course, not every change in the streaming world has been an increase. In a rare move, Fubo actually reduced its Pro and Elite monthly subscriptions by $11 starting January 1, 2026, in the midst of a carriage dispute with NBCUniversal. But such cuts are the exception rather than the rule, as most platforms continue to nudge prices higher to cover their ballooning expenses.
As 2026 unfolds, Belgian consumers—and streaming audiences everywhere—will need to weigh the growing costs of their favorite platforms against the value they receive. With Amazon Prime Video’s new ad-supported and Ultra tiers set to debut, viewers will soon have more choices than ever, but also more decisions to make about how, and how much, they want to pay for their entertainment.
For now, one thing is clear: the streaming landscape is evolving rapidly, and those changes are hitting home for millions of subscribers. Whether the added features of Prime Video Ultra will be enough to justify its higher price remains to be seen, but Amazon is betting that Belgian viewers—and millions more worldwide—will stick around for the next episode.