By Dan Lawrence
| Published 2 days ago
Bad news European Amazon Prime members. Just like American users about six months ago, European subscribers to Amazon Prime Video will soon get a price hike. The Hollywood Reporter has found that some European territories are seeing price increases of a whopping 40%.
Amazon Prime Video users in Europe received the email no streaming subscriber wants to see, news of a price hike. The changes will take effect on September 15. The UK gets the lightest treatment, with Amazon Prime Video’s monthly subscription rising 12.5% to £9 ($10.80) and the annual fee rising 20% to £95 ($114). German users pay 30% more for an annual fee of €80.90 ($90.95). In March, Amazon Prime Video emerged as the market leader in Germany, overtaking Netflix in the region, and it will be interesting to see if the price hike affects streaming services in the country. Users living in France are in a worse situation, with subscribers paying 43% more, with annual fees jumping to €69.90 ($70.74).
Many reasons have been cited for such steep price increases for Amazon Prime Video. The Financial Times reports that one of the reasons for Amazon’s price increase in Europe is inflation and a jump in operating costs. The price increases are also much more drastic than American users – a staggering 17%. Another reason is the increase in Amazon’s offerings, including new TV series and movies. One of the biggest projects coming to Amazon Prime Video this year is The Rings of Power, a mega-budget extravaganza that will bring audiences back to Middle-earth starting September 2nd.
The Rings of Power – which in its latest trailer stars the mighty Lord of the Rings villain Sauron – has a rumored budget of $462 million for the first season alone, and will cost Amazon at least $1 billion in the long run. Such a monumental budget for just one product more than likely contributes to Amazon Prime Video’s price spikes not only in the United States, but now in Europe as well. Last year, IndieWire reported that Amazon was confident that the money spent on Rings of Power would be recouped, however, and defended the large investment, saying it would help build the world, not just the budget for filming the debut season.
