Prime Video works differently in New Zealand than it does in the United States or Australia. Here it is sold as a standalone streaming subscription rather than as part of a wider Prime membership with shipping benefits, and since August 2025 the standard plan carries advertising.
What Prime Video costs in New Zealand
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Video (with ads) | NZ$10.99 a month | The full catalogue, with ad breaks in most films and series |
| Ad-free upgrade | About NZ$3 a month on top | The same catalogue without ad breaks |
| Add-on channels | Priced individually | Separate subscriptions billed through Amazon, including HBO Max since June 2026 |
Tick the services you pay for and pick the plan. The calculator shows what your streaming stack costs per month and per year in New Zealand dollars, plus the cheapest way to keep the same shows.
Prices are the standard NZ monthly rates verified in September 2026 (Netflix, Disney+, Neon, Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple TV, Sky Sport Now, Crunchyroll); YouTube Premium and Spotify are approximate. TVNZ+, ThreeNow and Freeview Streaming TV are free with ads.
The base price has sat at NZ$10.99 since March 2024, which still makes it the cheapest of the large services here. Advertising arrived on 26 August 2025, with an ad-free option charged as an extra — confirm the exact upgrade price in your Amazon account, because Amazon has adjusted it since launch.
Add-on channels are the part people miss. They are separate subscriptions that happen to play inside the Prime Video app and bill through Amazon, so subscribing to HBO Max as a channel costs the same sort of money as subscribing directly. The convenience is one app and one bill, not a discount.
Prime Video against the rest of the market
Against Netflix at NZ$17.99 to NZ$33.99 and Disney+ at NZ$9.99 with ads, Prime Video is priced to be the second or third service in a household rather than the only one. Its strength is a deep back catalogue of licensed films plus its own originals; its weakness is that the New Zealand catalogue is noticeably thinner than the American one, which is the source of most complaints about it.
Our streaming comparison for New Zealand puts the current prices side by side, and includes a calculator for what a stack of subscriptions costs across a year.
Watching on your TV
Prime Video apps are available on most smart TVs sold here, on games consoles, on Apple TV and Chromecast devices, and on Amazon’s own Fire TV sticks, which New Zealand retailers now stock. Streaming quality tops out at 4K on supported titles and devices, and Amazon lists three simultaneous streams per account.
For 4K you need roughly 25 Mbps of steady bandwidth per stream. That is comfortable on any fibre plan sold in New Zealand today — the Commerce Commission measured Fibre 100 at an average of 106 Mbps in its July 2026 testing — but it can be tight on older fixed wireless connections when several people are watching. If your video keeps dropping to a blurry picture, our guide to connections that keep dropping out covers the usual causes, and the speed test will show what you are actually getting.
Regional catalogues and VPNs
Amazon licenses titles country by country, so the New Zealand library differs from the American, British and Australian ones. Connecting through a VPN to change which library you see is legal in New Zealand, but it breaches Amazon’s terms of use, and Amazon — like every large streaming service — blocks address ranges it identifies as VPN infrastructure. Expect it to work inconsistently at best. Our best VPN guide explains what to look for and sets realistic expectations about streaming.
Disclaimer
Prices are as at September 2026 and are set by Amazon, which changes them without much notice. Using a VPN is lawful in New Zealand; accessing another country’s catalogue may breach the service’s terms of use and can result in playback being blocked.
Reference sources
Frequently asked questions
How much is Prime Video in New Zealand?
NZ$10.99 a month with ads, plus roughly NZ$3 a month if you want the ad-free version. There is no shipping-inclusive Prime membership sold here.
Does Prime Video have ads in New Zealand now?
Yes, since 26 August 2025 the standard subscription includes ad breaks. Paying the upgrade removes them.
Is Prime Video in New Zealand the same as in the United States?
No. Licensing is country by country, and the New Zealand catalogue is smaller. Amazon’s own originals appear in both.
How many people can watch Prime Video at once?
Amazon lists three simultaneous streams per account, with limits on how many devices can play the same title at the same time.
What are Prime Video channels?
Separate subscriptions that play inside the Prime Video app and bill through Amazon. HBO Max became available this way in New Zealand in June 2026. They cost extra on top of your Prime Video subscription.
Can I use a VPN to get the US Prime Video library?
It is legal to use a VPN in New Zealand, but it breaches Amazon’s terms and the service blocks known VPN addresses, so playback often fails even when the catalogue appears to change.
What internet speed do I need for Prime Video?
About 5 Mbps for HD and 25 Mbps for 4K per stream. Any current fibre plan handles that; older fixed wireless connections can struggle with several 4K streams at once.
