Would you pay $25 per month to stream without ads?
Would you pay $25 per month to stream without ads?
A new survey finds there is a definite limit to how much consumers are willing to plunk down for ad-free streaming plans.
“Stream-flation” may be a buzzy word, but it’s a little bit harder to quantify with actual data than it is to simply say to evoke the idea that streaming prices are rising. That’s not to say they aren’t rising; in fact, a new survey from Deloitte has great details on how much more customers are paying for their streaming plans these days, and the limit of their willingness to pay for ad-free streaming.
Key Details:
- On average, customers are paying $8 per month more for streaming than they were in 2024.
- Viewers say they’re unwilling to pay $25 per month or more to stream without ads.
- Netflix and Max come closest to the $25 monthly price with their Premium plans.
Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Media Trends report finds that on average, audiences are paying $8 per month (13%) more for subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services in 2025 than they were in 2024. Customers are still using the same number of streaming services on average at four per person, but 47% of respondents say they pay too much for the services they use. Gen Z subscribers and millennials have an average of 5 SVOD services each, and have seen a 20% price increase year-over-year.
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That data aligns with research recently published by Antenna, which shows that streaming prices across the industry have risen by more than 20% since 2022. There’s no way around it: streamers are getting more and more expensive, and will likely continue to do so as streaming providers seek to become regularly profitable.
Deloitte’s data also shows that the average price for ad-free subscription plans is around $16 per month. That’s already more than customers think is the ideal price; respondents said they thought $14 was the right price to pay for ad-free subscription plans to their favorite service. They also said that $25 per month was too much to pay for ad-free streaming.
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Customers are also becoming more and more sensitive to ongoing price increases. A majority (60%) say that a price hike of $5 per month would make them likely to cancel their favorite SVOD service.
There are already a couple of streamers that are getting closer to the red line in terms of price. Netflix’s Premium plan is now $25 per month, and Max’s highest-priced offering is $21. Both services offer ad-free tiers with fewer features for less money, but those are likely to increase in price in the coming years as well.
Consumers’ gripes about streaming getting closer and closer to cable are complaints that streaming providers have to pay attention to. The public isn’t willing to pay unlimited money to get their streaming services, and streamers have to weigh the desire for profit carefully against consumer exhaustion with price hikes.
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.