Final week, HBO Max introduced it raised its normal subscription by $1.50 to $18.49 a month — up 23% from when the streaming service launched 5 years in the past amid the pandemic.
Such bulletins have grow to be nearly routine within the tv enterprise as inflation hits streaming platforms which might be beneath rising strain to show a revenue and pay for larger programming prices.
As soon as seen as a less expensive different to cable, the price of a streaming subscription for the highest platforms continues to rise, very similar to larger costs for groceries, gasoline and housing.
The truth is, the typical worth for subscriptions to the highest 10 paid subscription streaming providers within the U.S. elevated 12% this yr, following double-digit share will increase per yr since 2022, in keeping with Victoria, British Columbia-based Convergence Analysis Group.
The analysis agency included streamers corresponding to Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, Apple TV and others in its information set. It components subscriptions which might be with adverts or ad-free and doesn’t keep in mind bundling. The entire main streaming providers within the U.S. raised their costs on plans this yr, apart from Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video, which boosted charges final yr.
The worth hikes replicate the robust financial realities of media firms that have to substitute dwindling income from legacy pay TV channels which have seen sharp declines in viewership.
“The remainder of their companies have successfully been beneath assault by streaming and they also want this space to be worthwhile as a way to compensate for the decline in their very own companies,” mentioned Brahm Eiley, president of the Convergence Analysis Group. “It’s been great strain on them.”
Streaming providers have been working as loss leaders for a while, mentioned Tim Hanlon, chief govt of Vertere Group LLC, a media consulting agency.
“There’s no query that streaming is now beneath the gun to be its personal revenue middle,” Hanlon mentioned.
If charges go a lot larger, customers could balk, specialists mentioned.
“The business is taking part in a harmful recreation by persevering with to boost costs,” mentioned Andrew Hare, senior vp for the media analysis consultancy Magid. “We’re nearing a boiling level of rising churn and overwhelming selection.”
Magid has additionally already seen an uptick within the share of customers who intend to cancel no less than one streaming service within the subsequent six months. The determine was 24% within the second quarter of 2025, up from 19% a yr earlier.
“Arduous as it’s to think about, the cable bundle is beginning to seem like a greater worth on a regular basis,” Hare mentioned.
Here’s a have a look at which main streamers have raised costs on their ad-free streaming plans this yr.
HBO Max
HBO Max raised costs throughout all of its plans. Its lowest-cost, ad-free streaming plan went up by $1.50 to $18.49 a month, whereas the annual model of that plan additionally elevated $15 to $184.99.
HBO Max’s guardian firm, Warner Bros. Discovery, had 125.7 million international streaming subscribers within the second quarter, up 22% from a yr earlier.
Like different streamers, HBO cited the necessity to assist pay for high quality content material. The platform presents big-budget reveals together with drama “The Gilded Age” and “Home of the Dragon,” which takes place within the “Recreation of Thrones” universe.
Shoppers ought to brace themselves for extra worth hikes. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav mentioned at a Goldman Sachs buyers convention final month that he believes HBO Max is underpriced.
“We would like deal for customers, however I believe over time there’s actual alternative, significantly for us in that high quality space to boost costs,” Zaslav mentioned.
Peacock
Huge-time sports activities properties have been shifting to streaming platforms and guess who’s going to assist foot the invoice? Shoppers, in fact.
Forward of changing into a serious supplier of NBA video games this season, Peacock elevated costs on its plans, together with the premium plus ad-free streaming service, by $3 to $16.99 a month. That was the third worth hike since Peacock launched in 2020, the place its ad-free plan began at $9.99 a month.
The Comcast-owned streamer, which has 41 million paid subscribers, has weekly video games on Mondays and Tuesdays and could have a Peacock unique NFL recreation on Dec. 27. Peacock subsequent yr will air the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and proceed to stream main sporting occasions corresponding to NFL video games.
In a July earnings name, Comcast Corp. President Mike Cavanagh touted how Peacock could have probably the most hours of reside sports activities of any streamer subsequent yr.
Netflix
Netflix has additionally gotten into the sports activities enterprise, with the addition of two NFL video games on Christmas Day.
The streamer, which stays the business juggernaut, can be anticipated so as to add Main League Baseball’s House Run Derby and a gap evening recreation when MLB finalizes a brand new media rights deal this yr.
The corporate cited its entry into high-priced sports activities when it raised its costs on most of its plans, together with on its most cost-effective ad-free month-to-month plan by $2.50 to $17.99 within the U.S. earlier this yr.
“As we proceed to put money into programming and ship extra worth for our members, we are going to sometimes ask our members to pay a little bit extra in order that we are able to re-invest to additional enhance Netflix,” Netflix mentioned in a letter to shareholders in January.
The slice of sports activities is coming on the expense of followers who want a number of subscriptions — in the event that they wish to sustain with each NFL recreation.
“A sure kind of fan is beginning to acknowledge they’re being fleeced,” Hanlon mentioned.
Larger costs on ad-free plans may help drive site visitors to a streamer’s lowest-priced plans with adverts. Netflix launched its subscription plan with adverts in 2022 at $6.99 a month and it has solely elevated by a $1 to $7.99 a month since then in January 2025.
Whereas many main streamers provide cheaper plans with adverts, others provide free streaming providers with adverts such because the Roku Channel or Tubi.
A current analysis examine by Magid discovered that three-quarters of customers are fantastic with watching commercials, if it saves them cash.
4 in 10 mentioned they’re “overwhelmed” by the variety of providers they use. The common variety of streaming subscriptions per family within the third quarter is 4.6, up from 4.1 the earlier yr.
“Collectively, these tendencies level to a extra value-driven streaming shopper looking for affordability and ease,” the examine mentioned.
Apple TV
Apple TV was as soon as one of many lowest-priced subscription service plans, launching at $4.99 a month. Since then, costs for Apple’s video streaming service have elevated to $12.99 a month, with its newest worth bounce of $3 in August.
The Cupertino-based firm has been making an attempt to make its streaming enterprise extra financially sound, however faces a formidable activity because it has been an enormous spender in attracting title expertise to its applications and films.
When Apple TV first launched, it had simply 9 applications, however since then has expanded its library to incorporate critically acclaimed reveals and movies together with comedy “Ted Lasso,” drama “Severance” and “The Studio.”
Apple mentioned in a press release that whereas it did elevate its costs on its normal month-to-month ad-free plan, the price of its annual subscription stays at $99 and Apple One bundled packages didn’t change.
Disney+
Final month, Disney+ introduced it will enhance the price of its ad-free streaming plan by $3 to $18.99 a month. Hulu didn’t enhance its worth on its ad-free month-to-month streaming plan.
It was the fourth consecutive yr the Burbank leisure big has boosted its streaming costs since launching Disney+ six years in the past, when the service value simply $6.99 a month.
Regardless of the current worth hikes from Disney and others, Eiley from Convergence Analysis Group thinks there’s nonetheless room for buyer progress.
On the finish of final yr, simply 36% of U.S. households had a conventional TV subscription, in contrast with greater than half of U.S. households in mid-2022, in keeping with Convergence Analysis Group information. By the top of 2028, the analysis agency forecasts simply 21% of households could have conventional TV subscriptions.
“There’s nonetheless an enormous quantity of twine reducing occurring,” Eiley mentioned.
