Ad-Free Streaming Has Gotten 25% More Expensive in the Past Year; How Much Will Your Favorite Streamer Rise in Price?
Ad-Free Streaming Has Gotten 25% More Expensive in the Past Year; How Much Will Your Favorite Streamer Rise in Price?
If you’re a streaming customer watching your bills increase at an alarming rate, it’s easy to chalk it up to corporate greed. Most streaming services are operated by companies that generate billions in revenue every year, and have high-priced executives who don’t cut the most sympathetic figure when they appear on CNBC and complain that they’re losing money from some segment of their business or other.
But the streaming marketplace is at a crossroads, and users who were sold on the promise of cheap, ad-free content are being disabused of the notion that it would last forever. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the cost to stream ad-free video has risen 25% in the past year. Most streaming services have introduced ad-supported plans to attract more cost-conscious users, but many people cut the cord specifically to avoid commercials, and are now stuck with a choice of reintroducing ads into their lives or paying more.
One possible response to this trend could be an increase in cycling — an industry term that means signing up for a service to watch a single title, then canceling before the next bill comes due. A survey from February found that nearly 70% of American customers would consider cycling at some point this year and that number is likely to rise alongside streaming costs.
To help viewers put some hard numbers next to all this heady talk, we’ve broken down when all of the top streaming services raised their prices last and when users might expect them to increase next — and by how much. Check in on your favorite streamer below.
When Was Netflix’s Last Price Increase, and When Might it Rise Next?
Netflix has not enacted an official price increase since January 2022. Executives have promised that prices won't go up for Netflix plans until at least 2024, but the company did enact a de-facto price hike when it discontinued its cheapest ad-free tier for new users in July.
Netflix is the only subscription video streaming service that regularly reports a profit, so its next round of price increases likely won’t be dramatic. Costs will likely rise most on the ad-free tiers of the service, which will help drive users to the ad-supported tier where Netflix can more efficiently monetize them.
| Tier | Price Per Month | Ads Per Hour | Streams | Video Quality | Offline Mode | Last Price Increase | Predicted Monthly Price After Next Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard with Ads | $6.99 | 4-5 min. per hour | 2 | 1080p | No | N/A | $7.99 |
| Standard | $15.49 | N/A | 2 | 1080p | Yes | Jan. 2022 | $17.99 |
| Premium | $19.99 | N/A | 4 | 4K+HDR | Yes | Jan. 2022 | $22.99 |
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”
When Was Disney+’s Last Price Increase, and When Might it Rise Next?
Disney announced last week that prices would be rising for the ad-free tiers of its streaming platforms, including Disney+ on Oct. 12. Disney+ Premium is rising from $10.99 per month to $13.99, though ad-supported Disney+ Basic will be unaffected.
It’s the second time in less than a year that Disney+ is rising in price. When Disney+ Basic launched in December 2022, the price of ad-free Disney+ climbed from $7.99 to its current $10.99 rate.
| Tier | Price Per Month | Ads Per Hour | Streams | Video Quality | Offline Mode | Next Announced Price Increase | Monthly Price After Next Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disney+ Basic | $7.99 | 4-5 min. per hour | 4 | Up to 4K on select tiles | No | N/A | $7.99 |
| Disney+ Premium | $10.99 | N/A | 4 | Up to 4K on select tiles | Yes | Oct. 2023 | $13.99 |
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
When Was Hulu’s Last Price Increase, and When Might it Rise Next?
Much like Disney+, Hulu will increase the cost of its ad-free plan on Oct. 12. The price of ad-supported Hulu streaming will not increase as of now.
| Tier | Price Per Month | Ads Per Hour | Streams | Video Quality | Offline Mode | Next Announced Price Increase | Monthly Price After Next Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu with Ads | $7.99 | 9-10 min. per hour | 2 | Up to 4K on select tiles | No | N/A | $7.99 |
| Hulu with No Ads | $14.99 | N/A | 2 | Up to 4K on select tiles | Yes | Oct. 2023 | $17.99 |
Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
When Was Max’s Last Price Increase, and When Might it Rise Next?
Max has been fairly consistent with its prices since its launch, and its first-ever price increase came earlier this year when it bumped the cost of ad-free streaming from $14.99 to its current rate of $15.99 per month. When HBO Max brought on a big selection of content from discovery+ in May, there was no corresponding price increase, though a new, more expensive Ultimate tier with more features was added.
That means that a price increase could well be on the way, especially as Max contemplates the best ways of adding more live sports. Even if it sequesters live sports onto its own streaming tier, however, price increases for Max are likely in the next year or so. WBD may decide to raise prices fairly steeply, considering the amount of new content now available on the platform and the premium HBO brand.
| Tier | Price Per Month | Ads Per Hour | Streams | Video Quality | Offline Mode | Last Price Increase | Monthly Price After Next Predicted Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max with Ads | $9.99 | 3-4 min. per hour | 2 | 1080p | No | N/A | $12.99 |
| Max without Ads | $15.99 | N/A | 2 | 1080p | Yes, 30 downloads | Jan. 2023 | $19.99 |
| Max Ultimate | $19.99 | N/A | 4 | 4K for Select Titles | Yes, 100 downloads | N/A | $24.99 |
HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
When Was Prime Video’s Last Price Increase, and When Might it Rise Next?
Prime Video has not increased the price of a standalone subscription once since 2016, which is a remarkable stretch of stability. It’s also got to end at some point, and the best time for that to happen would be when the service launches its new ad-supported tier, which is reportedly in the works now.
If Amazon follows Disney’s lead, it will launch its new ad-supported option at the same price point that its ad-free option now retails for, while the current Prime Video offering would increase in price.
| Tier | Price Per Month | Ads Per Hour | Streams | Video Quality | Offline Mode | Last Price Increase | Monthly Price After Next Predicted Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Video | $8.99 | N/A | 3 | 4K on select titles | Yes | N/A | $11.99 |
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.
When Was Paramount+’s Last Price Increase, and When Might it Rise Next?
Paramount+ likely won’t raise prices for a stretch of several months, because it’s one of the services that most recently raised prices. Its ad-free tier rose to $11.99 per month when it integrated content from SHOWTIME in late June, while the ad-supported plan increased to $5.99 per month.
In order to avoid wearing customers out with repeated price increases, Paramount+ likely won’t raise prices until mid-to-late 2024. When they do rise, they’ll likely be modest to help Paramount+ retain its reputation as a more working-class streaming service.
| Tier | Price Per Month | Ads Per Hour | Streams | Video Quality | Offline Mode | Last Price Increase | Monthly Price After Next Predicted Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paramount+ Essential | 5.99 | 9-10 mins. | 3 | 1080p | No | June 27, 2023 | $7.99 |
| Paramount+ with Showtime | $11.99 | N/A | 3 | 4K on select titles | Yes | June 27, 2023 | $14.99 |
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
When Was Peacock’s Last Price Increase, and When Might it Rise Next?
Peacock helped The Streamable look prescient indeed when it raised prices for the first time in its history in July, just one month after our prediction that it would do so. It was a modest price increase on par with Paramount+: ad-supported streaming rose $1 to $5.99 per month, and ad-free jumped $2 to $11.99 monthly.
Similar to Paramount+, Peacock will probably wait a bit before it increases prices again. But one difference could be that Peacock rises a bit higher than Paramount+ will, mostly because of its addition of exclusive live sports events like NFL regular season and playoff games that won’t be shown anywhere else.
| Tier | Price Per Month | Ads Per Hour | Streams | Video Quality | Offline Mode | Last Price Increase | Monthly Price After Next Predicted Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peacock Premium | $5.99 | 5 | 3 | 4K on select titles | No | July 17, 2023 | $8.99 |
| Peacock Premium Plus | $11.99 | N/A | 3 | 4K on select titles | Yes | July 17, 2023 | $15.99 |
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.