Cord-cutters are $5 away from canceling streaming services
Cord-cutters are $5 away from canceling streaming services
A new survey from Deloitte shows that streaming services may want to start considering less traditional pricing models.
To say that streaming prices have increased with nearly no reprieve in recent years likely wouldn’t be new information to most cord-cutters. Customers of nearly every top subscription streaming service have seen their rates increase in the past year or so, from Apple TV to Netflix to Prime Video and everything in between.
A new survey from Deloitte highlights the pricing stresses that customers are facing, and how they’re responding. The data points to the conclusion that streaming services may want to consider different pricing methods, such as more basic tiers and short-term subscriptions, to give customers more options; otherwise, they might start to see their cancellation rates rise as quickly as their prices.
The data from Deloitte shows that 68% of subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) subscribers now have at least one ad-supported plan, an increase of 46% from 2024. The percentage of people who now use an ad plan has increased by double digits across every generation, as consumers seek out ways to save money while watching.
Seventy-three percent of those surveyed by Deloitte say they’re frustrated that the entertainment services they prize are continuing to raise prices. And while the churn rate remains at 40% year-over-year, a whopping 61% of consumers say they would cancel their favorite streaming service if the price increased by $5 per month.
The data from Deloitte shows that not only is ad-supported streaming here to stay, but that traditional pricing power has its limits. It backs up a study by Parks Associates published last month that showed that price concerns were the leading cause of streaming cancelations in 2025, and that while ad plans can help keep prices low, customers are usually less satisfied with ad tiers than they are with ad-free ones.
So, what are streaming services going to do to help customers who are feeling squeezed by continuously rising prices? Cynical readers might assume that streamers won’t do anything about the issue, and will count on their content libraries to continue bringing audiences back, no matter how much it costs to watch. But in recent months, streaming services have begun launching new experiments to try to meet customers where they are. These efforts aren’t widespread yet, but if they meet with success, consumers can likely expect more streaming services to adopt them.
Let’s start with Peacock. The NBCUniversal platform raised prices for the third year in a row in 2025, but it also launched a new subscription option for customers who wanted to watch its best entertainment titles and save money at the same time. The streamer’s Select plan costs $8 per month, and cuts out live sports available on Peacock, while continuing to offer content from NBC and Bravo — though no Peacock Originals are included. It’s $3 per month cheaper than the Premium plan, and almost $10 less than the ad-free Premium Plus subscription.
Peacock has not revealed how many subscribers it has attracted to the Select plan, but it’s a viable option for other streaming services to consider nonetheless. Almost every SVOD service now offers live sports, so giving entertainment-focused customers a tier that doesn’t include sports for a lower cost is a reasonable option for services like Apple TV, Netflix, Paramount+, and Prime Video.
SVODs could also opt to experiment with shorter-term subscription options, as Sling TV has done. In August, Sling launched its Passes, which allow customers to sign up to stream the channels in its Orange package for $5 per day, $10 per three days, or $15 per seven days. It’s mostly intended to give viewers short-term access to ESPN to watch marquee events appearing on that channel without having to shell out the $30-per-month fee to sign up for ESPN Unlimited, or even more to watch on another pay-TV service.
Subscription streaming services could adopt that pattern as well, perhaps charging $1 per day, $3 for a weekend, or $5 for a week of access. Services may be reluctant to adopt any pricing options that don’t encourage subscribers to stay with a streamer over the long haul, but data from Hub shows that audiences are most likely to be loyal to streaming services they consider their default viewing source anyway. I think that instead of causing loyal subscribers to cancel subscriptions in favor of short-term plans, such plans would attract audiences who otherwise would never pay the full one-month price to watch that streamer in the first place.
SVOD operators might be slow to adopt any such changes, but Deloitte’s survey shows that they don’t have unlimited room to raise prices on subscribers. Customers are quite prepared to cancel even their favorite service if prices increase too much, and streamers should start considering less traditional pricing options to help the public feel less trapped by high entertainment costs.
Sling TV
Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.
You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.