David Farnor | On 26, Jul 2022

Amazon is increasing the price of Amazon Prime in the UK this autumn.

Amazon Prime is a membership scheme that gives subscribers a range of perks, most notably free next-day (and sometimes same-day) delivery and access to a range of TV and video exclusives through its Prime Video platform. At the moment, that costs £7.99 a month or £79 a year. However, from 15th September 2022, that price will increase to £8.99 a month or £95 a year.

This new price will apply to any renewals made on or after 15th September 2022, which means anyone who signs up for an annual membership for the first time on 14th September won’t have to pay the higher amount until 12 months later.

“This is the first time we have changed the price of Prime in the UK since 2014,” said Amazon in a statement to customers. “During this time, we have significantly increased the number of products available with unlimited, fast Prime delivery; added and expanded ultra-fast fresh grocery delivery; and added more high-quality digital entertainment, including TV, movies, music, games, and books. Prime Video in particular has increased the number of TV series and movies on offer, including Amazon Originals, as well as live sports coverage, such as the Premier League and Autumn Nations Series.”

Indeed, the news of the price rise comes as Amazon has just signed a new deal to give it exclusive rights to a number of Champions League football matches from 2024, which joins similar deals for a number of Premier League football matches and the rights to the US Open tennis tournament in the UK. It also comes as Amazon is throwing huge investment at a new Lord of the Rings TV series, titled The Rings of Power, which debuts on 2nd September and is no doubt hoped to be a major driver of customer sign-ups and retention.

All this increased investment comes amid rising costs of production, due to inflation and shortages of crew and equipment in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw productions stall around the world before all trying to resume and catch up at the same time. However, it also comes as rising bills and prices have led to a cost of living crisis that has impacted people across the UK, with customers struggling to make ends meet. With Netflix also rising its pricing in March this year, many households will be looking for ways to cut costs – and opting out of the video streaming subscription that costs them the most money might well be the place to start.

The good news is that there is still an Amazon Prime Video membership option that costs £5.99 a month, without any of the other Amazon Prime add-on benefits – and at present, there is no sign of that being removed as an option for customers looking to stream Amazon’s exclusive library of TV and films. That means that while Amazon Prime will rise to £7.99 a month, you can at least save £2 a month by opting for an Amazon Prime Video-only subscription. Read more in detail here, along with all the other things you didn’t know about Amazon Prime and Amazon Prime Video.

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