What the Tech: Streaming price increases
Remember when streaming was the cheap alternative to cable? It wasn’t that long ago. Back in 2020, many households cut the cord and replaced expensive cable packages with streaming subscriptions that promised freedom, flexibility, and big savings. Fast forward just five years, and those savings are shrinking as prices keep climbing.
How Much Have Prices Gone Up?
Take Hulu. In 2020, its ad-supported plan was just $5.99 a month. Starting this fall, that same plan will cost $11.99 — double the price. Hulu’s Live TV package, once marketed as a cheaper way to get live channels without a cable contract, is also climbing. What used to be under $40 a month will soon cost $89.99 with ads or $99.99 for the ad-free bundle that includes Disney+ and ESPN+.
Disney+ has also raised its rates multiple times since its 2019 launch at $6.99. Beginning October 2025, the ad-supported version will be $11.99, while the ad-free plan reaches $18.99.
Netflix, the original streaming giant, is no stranger to price hikes either. In 2020, its standard plan was about $13.99. Today, it’s $17.99, with the premium tier reaching $24.99. For budget-minded viewers, Netflix does offer an ad-supported plan at $7.99.
And YouTube TV, one of the most popular live streaming options, now costs $82.99 a month, up from around $65 in 2020.
How Does This Compare to Cable?
Traditional cable still averages more than $100 a month once you factor in equipment rentals and fees. On paper, streaming is still cheaper. But for many households, stacking subscriptions like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and a live TV service ends up costing as much, or even more, than a cable package.
Industry analysts point out that streaming was never meant to stay cheap forever. As platforms invest in original programming, live sports, and improved technology, their expenses rise, and so do the monthly bills.
The Rise of “Churning”
So how can you save money? Increasingly, consumers are turning to a strategy called “churning.” That means signing up for one service, watching what you want, and then canceling or pausing it before moving on to the next.
For example, if you only want Netflix to watch the latest season of Stranger Things, you could subscribe for a month, binge the series, and then switch to Hulu or Disney+ for a while. This approach can save households anywhere from $20 to $50 a month.
And it’s not just a niche strategy — surveys show that nearly half of all streaming customers are now churning their subscriptions to keep costs down.
For savvy viewers willing to do a little juggling, that flexibility could still mean saving hundreds of dollars a year. And prices for all of the streaming services are expected to continue to increase as they invest in shows and sports events.
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