Amazon Prime membership estimated at nearly 50 million

According to Cowen & Co., Amazon Prime’s U.S. membership is about 49.5 million people. The third-party analysis is based on a panel of 2,500 U.S. consumers, since Amazon has not explicitly shared its Prime data. The projected 49.5 million is up 23% from a year ago, when Cowen estimated 40 million Prime members.

In the past, the winter holiday season has led to significant spikes in business for Amazon. The tech conglomerate recently announced multiple tiers of its subscription streaming program, Amazon Music Unlimited. These subscriptions seem meant to entice buyers into both the Prime membership and into owning an Amazon Echo. The voice-activated wifi speaker and personal assistant has been front and center in all of Amazon’s promotional content around the streaming music platform.