The shift from traditional cable TV to streaming services was marketed as a liberation—a way to slash bloated bills, ditch endless ads, and curate your entertainment on demand.
Back in the early 2010s, households were ditching $150+ monthly cable packages for Netflix's $7.99 flat fee, celebrating the freedom of binge-watching without the hassle of channel-surfing or surprise fees. Fast-forward to 2025, and that giddy promise has soured into widespread frustration.
Streaming costs now rival or exceed cable for many, with ad-supported tiers creeping back in and price hikes hitting annually. The average U.S. household subscribes to about four services, spending $69+ per month, but "streamflation" has turned what was a budget win into a creeping expense that feels eerily familiar.
Disney's October 21 hikes—its fourth in four years—pushed Disney+ (ad-free) to $15.99 and Hulu (ad-free) to $18.99, with bundles like Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ jumping from $14.99 to $17.99. Apple TV+ followed in September with a 30% bump to $12.99, its third increase ever, alienating budget-conscious users who see it as premium pricing gone awry. Discovery+ kicked off the year in January with a 20% rise for its ad-free tier to $5.99, the first since 2023. Even niche players like Dropout.tv hiked from $5.99 to $6.99 in May.
Netflix, while holding steady at $22.99 for Premium (as of late 2024), faces analyst predictions of increases across music and streaming by year-end, with its ad-supported tier already doubling ad loads to 4-6 minutes per hour by June. Other notables: Peacock's July hike (its third in three years) to $13.99 for Premium, Paramount+ to $17 (doubling since launch), and Hulu's ad-supported plan quietly rising to $9.99 amid Disney backlash.