How much have streaming prices risen in 5 years?
How much have streaming prices risen in 5 years?
We’ve put together an exhaustive list of streaming service price increases from the past half-decade to illustrate exactly how much prices have risen.
Will streaming service price increases ever end? At the time of this writing, the answer seems to be no. Streaming price increases are outpacing both inflation and cable price hikes, and it seems like every streamer has made an annual tradition of raising its rates.
But exactly how much has each streamer increased its price in the past five years? We decided to take a deep dive into each top domestic streamer to see how much they’ve raised their prices in the last half-decade, and we’ll break it down streamer by streamer below.
How much has each streaming service raised its prices in the past 5 years?
Apple TV
Apple TV, formerly known as Apple TV+, has increased by 200% in price overall in the past five years. Its most recent price increase was in August 2026, when the service jumped from $13 to $15 per month.
| Year | Monthly plan price | Percentage increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $5 | No price change |
| 2022 | $7 | 40% |
| 2023 | $10 | 43% |
| 2024 | $10 | No price change |
| 2025 | $13 | 30% |
| 2026 | $15 | 15% |
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Disney+
Disney+ launched with a single, ad-free plan, but adjusted its offerings to provide a less expensive ad-supported plan in 2022. The price of its original, ad-free offering has increased by more than 165% in the past five years, and while the ad-supported plan has not doubled in price yet, that benchmark is coming. Its most recent price hike was in September 2026, when its ad-free Premium plan increased in cost.
| Year | Basic (With Ads) | Basic % increase | Premium (No Ads) | Premium % increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | N/A | N/A | $8 | 14% |
| 2022 | $8 | Launch | $11 | 38% |
| 2023 | $8 | 0% | $14 | 27% |
| 2024 | $10 | 25% | $16 | 14% |
| 2025 | $12 | 20% | $19 | 19% |
| 2026 | $12 | 0% | $21.49 | 13% |
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.”
HBO Max
HBO Max is one of the few streaming services not to boost its price in 2026 — thus far, anyway. The streamer’s last price increase was in October 2025, so there’s still time for the service to raise rates this year. HBO Max’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, is in the process of being acquired by Paramount Skydance, which could also influence price changes in the future.
| Year | Basic (With Ads) | Basic % increase | Standard (No Ads) | Standard % increase | Premium (No Ads and 4K) | Premium % increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $10 | Launch | $15 | 0% | N/A | N/A |
| 2022 | $10 | 0% | $15 | 0% | N/A | N/A |
| 2023 | $10 | 0% | $16 | 7% | $20 | Launch |
| 2024 | $10 | 0% | $17 | 6% | $21 | 5% |
| 2025 | $11 | 10% | $18.49 | 9% | $23 | 10% |
| 2026 | $11 | 0% | $18.49 | 0% | $23 | 0% |
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.
Hulu
Hulu last raised rates in September 2026, when the price of its ad-free plan jumped from $19 to $21.49 per month. Disney has more or less aligned price increases for Hulu with those of Disney+ in recent years, so there’s quite a bit of similarity between the two charts.
| Year | Basic (With Ads) | Basic % increase | Premium (No Ads) | Premium % increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $7 | 17% | $13 | 8% |
| 2022 | $8 | 14% | $15 | 15% |
| 2023 | $8 | 0% | $18 | 20% |
| 2024 | $10 | 25% | $19 | 6% |
| 2025 | $12 | 20% | $19 | 0% |
| 2026 | $12 | 0% | $21.49 | 13% |
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.”
Netflix
Netflix is another streamer that has raised prices in 2026, when all customers saw the price of their existing plan jump. The cost of ad-free Netflix has risen more than 40% in the past five years, and its most expensive plan is fast approaching $30 per month.
| Year | Standard with Ads | Standard with Ads % increase | Standard (No Ads) | Standard % increase | Premium (No Ads / 4K) | Premium % increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | N/A | N/A | $14 | 0% | $18 | 0% |
| 2022 | $7 | Launch | $15.49 | 11% | $20 | 11% |
| 2023 | $7 | 0% | $15.49 | 0% | $23 | 15% |
| 2024 | $7 | 0% | $15.49 | 0% | $23 | 0% |
| 2025 | $8 | 14% | $18 | 16% | $25 | 9% |
| 2026 | $9 | 13% | $20 | 11% | $27 | 8% |
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.”
Paramount+
Paramount+ kicked the year off with a price hike on both its Essential and Premium plans, and more rate hikes may be coming. The company is moving toward a $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, and customers may need to help the Ellison family pick up the tab.
| Year | Essential (With Ads) | Essential % increase | Paramount+ Premium (No Ads) | Premium % increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $5 | Launch | $10 | Launch |
| 2022 | $5 | 0% | $10 | 0% |
| 2023 | $6 | 20% | $12 | 20% |
| 2024 | $8 | 33% | $13 | 8% |
| 2025 | $8 | 0% | $13 | 0% |
| 2026 | $9 | 13% | $14 | 8% |
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.
Peacock
After its most recent price increase in 2026, the cost of streaming ad-free Peacock has doubled in the past five years. Ad-supported Peacock has more than doubled, increasing from $5 per month in 2021 to $13 in 2026 as NBCUniversal has chased profitability for the streamer.
| Year | Premium (With Ads) | Premium % increase | Premium Plus (No Ads) | Premium Plus % increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $5 | 0% | $10 | 0% |
| 2022 | $5 | 0% | $10 | 0% |
| 2023 | $6 | 20% | $12 | 20% |
| 2024 | $8 | 33% | $14 | 17% |
| 2025 | $11 | 38% | $17 | 21% |
| 2026 | $13 | 18% | $20 | 18% |
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.
Prime Video
Prime Video pulled what many subscribers felt was a fast one in 2024, when it converted formerly ad-free subscribers to ad-supported unless they opted to pay the additional fee to upgrade. In 2026, the streamer raised the price of ad-free streaming to $14 per month; ad-supported Prime Video is still included in the Amazon Prime subscription bundle for $15 per month.
| Year | Prime Video (With Ads) | Ad-supported % increase | Prime Video (No Ads) | Ad-free % increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | N/A | N/A | $9 | 0% |
| 2022 | N/A | N/A | $9 | 0% |
| 2023 | N/A | N/A | $9 | 0% |
| 2024 | $9 | Launch | $12 | 33% |
| 2025 | $9 | 0% | $12 | 0% |
| 2026 | $9 | 0% | $14 | 17% |
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.
How much would all these services cost in 2021?
In 2021, a stack of the cheapest ad-free plans from all of these services would have cost $84 per month. Today, that same stack of services costs $123.50 — and that accounts for the discount included in purchasing Disney+ and Hulu together. It’s a monthly increase of nearly $40, or 47%.
Is streaming more expensive than cable?
Per CableTV.com, the average cable bill in 2026 is $147 per month. Stacking the streamers listed above now prices out at more than $120 — not quite at the level of cable, but those streamers won’t have everything viewers can find in a cable package. Viewers would have to pay another $40 per month to add a bundle of ESPN Unlimited and Fox One to the streaming jumble just to roughly approximate what they can watch in a basic cable plan, for example.
Streaming services still offer the month-to-month flexibility of short-term contracts, but streamers are running out of arguments that they are better than cable. Customers are continuing to feel the pinch and will continue to use free streaming services like Pluto TV and Tubi, as well as creator video platforms like YouTube to mitigate the rising costs of streaming.
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