Amazon Prime Video has one benefit that sets it apart from any other streaming service — it comes free with an Amazon Prime subscription. This means that you’ll have an entire streaming library at your disposal, in addition to free two-day shipping, exclusive discounts, and access to Amazon Prime Day deals.
Complete with thousands of popular movies, TV shows, and Amazon Originals like “Fleabag” and “Catastrophe,” Prime Video is one of the most affordable and convenient streaming services on the market. Don’t forget you’ll ahve exclusive access to Thursday Night Football. Let’s take a look at everything else the service has to offer.
Amazon Prime Video plans
| Plan | Cost Per Month | Ads? | Free Trial? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Video with Amazon Prime membership | $14.99 | No | Yes |
| Prime Video | $8.99 | No | Yes |
Prime Video with Amazon Prime membership
An Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. The plan includes a free Amazon Prime Video subscription, along with free one-day or two-day shipping on many products, plus exclusive discounts and access to Amazon’s music and book libraries. So if you’re a sucker for late-night shopping or you crave the convenience of fast delivery, getting a Prime membership is an easy choice.
More than 150 million people subscribe to Amazon Prime, and one of the biggest perks is its library of ad-free on-demand content. While Prime Video may not have the extensive lineup of popular originals that Netflix or HBO Max offer, the service does boast some big hits like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Bosch,” and “The Wheel of Time.” In addition, it offers a variety of popular shows and movies like “Outer Range,” “Downton Abbey,” and “As We See It” that are perfect for a weekend binge or a distraction from a long day.
Prime Video also allows for easy integration with other channel subscriptions for added convenience. For example, if you want to watch HBO, STARZ, or other premium networks, you can access them from your Prime menu. If you can’t find the show or movie you want to watch, Prime Video even offers a variety of titles available to rent or purchase. You’ll also be able to stream on up to three devices simultaneously, and you can download your favorite shows to watch on the go.
Prime Video is a solid pick if you’re looking for award-winning TV shows, convenience, and extra perks that no other live tv streaming service offers. If you’re already an Amazon Prime member, you won’t have to pay any additional costs to stream Prime Video’s included content. If you’re not an Amazon Prime subscriber, however, the service offers a 30-day free trial for new members.
Prime Video
A standalone subscription to Amazon Prime Video costs just $8.99 per month. With this plan, you’ll have access to the complete Prime Video library filled with popular movies, TV shows, and hit Amazon Originals like “The Boys” or “Patriot.” Just like the Prime Video with an Amazon Prime membership plan, you’ll be able to stream on up to three devices simultaneously, create up to six user profiles, and can test out the service before committing to it with a 30-day free trial.
Amazon Prime Video add-ons
Prime Video offers over 100 add-on channels, ranging from premium networks like SHOWTIME, STARZ, and EPIX to niche channels like PBS Masterpiece, Hallmark Movies Now, and BBC Select. Plus, nearly every add-on comes with a seven-day free trial to try out the network before committing to a monthly subscription. Prices for these add-ons range from as little as $2.99 for networks like Curiosity Stream or PBS Living to $10.99 for premium network availability. The only downside? HBO is one of the few networks that aren’t available with Prime Video.
Does Amazon Prime Video offer sports content?
Prime Video is the exclusive broadcaster of Thursday Night Football, which is available with a standard Prime Video subscription. Sports fans will likely need to purchase add-on channels to catch the rest of their favorite games, though. If you’d rather have all the sports networks included in your base subscription, a FuboTV package, a Sling TV plan, or a ESPN Plus package may be a better option.
With Prime Video, however, you can watch top sports series like “All or Nothing,” and you can pick and choose which add-on sports networks are right for you or subscribe to them all. Here’s a list of the available sports add-ons:
- NBA League Pass for $14.99 per month
- NBA TV for $6.99 per month
- MLB TV for $24.99 per month
- PGA Tour Live for $9.99 per month
- MotorTrend for $4.99 per month
- MyOutdoorTV for $9.99 per month
- Outside TV Features for $4.99 per month
- The Surf Network for $5.99 per month
- Fuel TV for $4.99 per month
How does Amazon Prime Video compare to other streaming services?
| Streaming Service | Cost Per Month | Simultaneous Streams | Ads? | Free Trial? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Prime Video | $8.99+ | 3 | No | Yes |
| Hulu | $7.99+ | 2 | Ad-free option | Yes |
| ESPN Plus | $10.99 | 3 | Yes | No |
| Disney Plus | $7.99+ | 4 | No | No |
| Sling TV | $40+ | 1-3 | Yes | No |
| FuboTV | $74.99+ | 10 | Yes | Yes |
While Netflix plans and Hulu plans remain the most popular on-demand streaming services, you may realize that you don’t need those subscriptions if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber. Prime Video doesn’t offer as extensive of an on-demand library with its base subscription, but it’s an excellent value for the cost.
At $8.99 per month, Amazon Prime Video is a bit more expensive than its competitors like Hulu or Disney Plus. However, with a full Prime membership, viewers also benefit from free shipping, access to Amazon’s music and book libraries, and exclusive discounts, making this subscription highly worthwhile for the small monthly payment.
Regarding content variety, Prime Video offers a unique benefit over Disney Plus, as it offers content for both children and mature audiences. The broad content range makes Prime Video a great choice for families who want an all-in-one streaming service with movies and TV shows that everyone can enjoy. However, Hulu still has Prime Video beat with even more titles and original shows available on its platform.
Another big draw for Amazon Prime Video is its ad-free content. While many services like Peacock and Hulu offer ad-supported titles in the base subscription, Prime Video hits the ground running with ad-free streaming for an affordable monthly cost. This service is an excellent choice for viewers who value convenience, customization, and unique benefits that no other streaming services offer, especially when paired with an Amazon Prime subscription.
What are the downsides of Amazon Prime Video?
Prime Video has two confusing features, the worst of which is how the platform organizes TV show seasons. When searching for a specific show to watch, each season appears as its own entity, which ends up looking messy and confusing. For example, if you search “Bosch,” you may see season five in the search results before season one.
In addition, on Prime Video, you won’t see exclusively free-to-watch content in the library. Instead, all available titles — whether free to watch or available for rent or purchase — are bundled together. And while you can switch to the “Free to Me” section to filter out the paid content, you can’t make this the default option. This tends to leave viewers selecting titles they think are free, only to be disappointed that it’s actually available for purchase instead.
What makes Amazon Prime Video stand out?
Prime Video itself doesn’t offer many perks that make it stand out. However, when accessed through an Amazon Prime subscription, this service is a no-brainer for shoppers, readers, music buffs, and viewers looking for a wide range of affordable content. With an Amazon Prime subscription, you’ll have access to the entire on-demand library and all the benefits of an Amazon Prime subscription.
How to subscribe to Amazon Prime Video
If you already have a Prime membership, you won’t need to do a thing. Just log into Amazon Prime Video using your Amazon login and start streaming. However, if you’re not a Prime Video (or Amazon Prime) subscriber yet, here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Head over to Amazon’s website.
- In the top right corner, click the pop-up that says, “New Customer? Start Here.”
- Enter your name, email address, and/or phone number, and create a password.
- Click “Verify Email” or “Verify Phone Number” based on the information you provided.
- Type in the verification code sent to your email or phone number, and click “Create Your Amazon Account.”
At this point, you’ve created a basic Amazon account that’s free to use. To upgrade your account to Amazon Prime or subscribe to Prime Video, here are the last few steps:
- On the Amazon website, click on your account icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Prime Membership” from the dropdown menu.
- Select “Start Free Trial.”
- Choose whether you’d like a monthly or yearly subscription and whether you want a Prime Video subscription or Prime membership. Then, click “Continue.”
- Enter your billing information and start streaming!
*After your 30-day free trial ends, you’ll be charged automatically for a recurring subscription. If you don’t want to continue with the service, be sure to cancel before the free trial is over.
Is Amazon Prime Video worth it?
Amazon Prime Video offers a wide variety of hit TV shows, movies, and popular originals at an affordable price. The service is available on almost every device, from iPhones to Androids to smart TVs, making it an excellent choice for tech-savvy viewers. Prime Video offers customizable subscription options, additional movie and show titles for rent or buy, and even add-ons if that’s not enough.
The main drawback of Amazon Prime Video is that the interface can get confusing, with seasons of shows listed as separate entities and free content mixed in with those available for purchase. Still, with a large range of ad-free content at a low price, Amazon Prime Video may just be the perfect choice for you.
FAQs
Is Prime Video free with Amazon Prime?
Prime Video comes free with an Amazon Prime membership. In addition to the two-day shipping, exclusive discounts, and access to Amazon Prime Day deals you will have a library of a wide variety of hit TV shows, movies, and popular originals at the tip of your fingers. Prime Video is one of the most affordable and convenient streaming services on the market.
How can I watch Amazon Prime Video for free?
- Visit the Amazon website, click on your account icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Prime Membership” from the dropdown menu.
- Select “Start Free Trial.”
- Enter your billing information and start streaming!
What is included with Amazon Prime video?
Any prime member can stream more than 30,000 TV shows, movies, and originals. Amazon Prime video includes Amazon Original TV and tons of other hit TV shows and movies. Prime Video boasts some big hits like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Bosch,” and “The Wheel of Time”