By Kayla DeKraker
Streaming subscriptions used to be a more cost-effective option compared to cable TV, but their affordability is rapidly fading. Now in 2025, streaming prices have risen dramatically and show no signs of slowing down.
Originally, streaming offered a way to watch what you wanted without commercials at a reasonable price. But now, the more affordable options mean trading TV with commercials for different TV with commercials. Disney+ currently boasts a plan of $9.99 a month for a subscription with ads, but to have no ads costs $15.99 a month.
In an effort to make streamers more affordable, some companies have bundled their services together. For example, a Disney+ plan with Hulu is only one dollar more with ads for $10.99 a month, or ad free for $19.99 a month.
Netflix also has increased its prices. A plan with ads is $7.99 a month, while an ad-free subscription is $17.99. Its premium plan is a whopping $24.99.
“As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix,” Netflix said of its rising prices earlier this year.
Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters explained, “We earn, right now, only 6 percent of the revenue opportunity in the countries and segments that we currently serve.”
He continued, “And as long as we continue to deliver on improving the variety, the quality of our TV and film slate, we gradually expand the offering with newer content types, we believe we’ll be able to increase that share progressively every year.”
In other words, we can count on Netflix’s prices to continue to increase.
Some users used to try to save money by password sharing, a loophole with has now been eliminated by most streamers. Now, if people want to share, they’ll have to pay.
Max recently joined this password sharing crackdown bandwagon. This month, the streamer announced it will now cost $7.99 to add a user to an account.
“Extra Member Add-On and Profile Transfer are two key Max advancements, designed to help viewers with a new way to enjoy our best-in-class content at an exceptional value, and offer subscribers greater flexibility in managing their accounts,” said JB Perrette, CEO and President, Global Streaming and Games, Warner Bros Discovery. “These updates provide a simple way for subscribers to add-on a new member to their account, or for existing subscribers who have users outside of their household to smoothly, and in an uninterrupted fashion, transition their profile so that extra member can continue to access Max.”
Related: Disney, Fox, Warner Bros. Announce Name of Sports Streaming Service
Prime Video may be a better deal than other streamers, seeing that an Amazon Prime membership includes Prime video and costs $14.99 a month.
To date, The Gauge by Nielsen reveals that YouTube pulls the most TV viewership at 12%. After that is Netflix at 7.9%, followed by Disney+ at 5%.
Although paying for streaming is getting more and more expensive, it isn’t going anywhere and continues to outperform cable.
Read Next: American’s Are Forgoing Cable TV Due to High Costs
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