Streaming Is Raising Prices Faster Than Cable Ever Did
20 days ago
- Streaming prices have risen more than three times the rate of inflation since 2022.
- Apple TV+ has tripled in price since its 2019 launch, despite having the smallest library.
- Disney+ has increased by 172% from its launch price, now costing $11.99 with ads.
- Paramount+’s cheapest tier is up 80% in five years; Netflix Premium is up 125% since 2013.
- Subscribing to all eight major ad-free streamers now costs about $151/month, up from $90 four years ago.
- HBO Max is an outlier with only a 23% increase over six years, but started at a higher base price.
- Streaming rates rose an average of 11.8% in the past year, with 2023 seeing a 17.7% spike.
- Cable TV is not a better deal; fully loaded bundles cost over $170/month.
- The recommended solution is streaming cycling: subscribe to one service at a time and rotate.
- Inflation has risen 33% since 2019, making streaming price hikes feel more severe.