8 streaming services that increased prices in the last 12 months

Streaming services started as affordable alternatives to cable, but that isn’t true anymore. Over the last 12 months, most streaming services, from giants like Netflix to smaller platforms, have increased the cost of their plans. Many of these companies are investing millions in growing a better-than-ever catalog of exclusive content and original productions.

Considering how easy it is to access your favorite content via a smart TV or streaming device, thanks to these platforms, it’s unlikely that minor price hikes will cause an exodus of subscribers. Still, with nearly every subscription service becoming more expensive, it’s wise to keep tabs on price hikes to know which ones still offer good value for your money.

8

Netflix

Netflix is the latest streaming platform to raise its prices in 2025. In a letter to its shareholders, the steaming giant revealed it would raise prices effective January 28, 2025. Following this announcement, Netflix’s cheapest ad-based plan went from $7 to $8 per month.

For the standard plan, expect to pay $18 per month instead of the usual $15.50. It doesn’t end there. Netflix’s most expensive plan is pricier at $25 per month (up from $23 monthly). Not everyone can cough up this increased price, given how frequent these hikes are. However, the streaming giant seems to be counting on its live event programming and growing catalog of exclusive shows to retain subscribers, even at an increased monthly cost.

7

YouTube TV

YouTube TV was never cheap. However, it offered access to live sports, news, and features like unlimited cloud DVR. This made it a popular choice among people looking for a flexible alternative to traditional cable. Its ever-increasing prices might be driving people back to cable. The service went up from $65 to $73 per month in early 2023. The recent price hike bumped the cost to $83 per month.

Only you can tell if the content on the platform is worth the hefty price tag. If you stick with the platform, familiarize yourself with the YouTube TV features you can take advantage of to get more value for your money.

6

Amazon Music Unlimited

Another service that’s become more expensive for customers is Amazon Music Unlimited. Customers with a Prime membership now pay $11 per month (up from $10) for the subscription, while non-Prime members pay $12 monthly (up from $11). The annual plan now costs $109 (up from $99) for Prime members.

Family plans also saw a price bump. The monthly plan went from $17 to $20, while the annual plan went from $169 to $199. Existing customers will see this price hike on their next billing date, on or after March 5. If you use Amazon Music Unlimited, sharing a Family plan with five others is one way to cut costs for yourself.

5

Max

In mid-2024, Max’s plans went up in price. The cost of the Standard Ad-Free plan and the Ultimate Ad-Free plan went up by $1 per month. The former now costs $17 per month, while the latter costs $21 monthly. Annual plans saw a similar hike in price. The yearly ad-free plan went up by $20 to $170, while the ad-free plan went up by $10 to $210.

While the price hikes have stopped there, subscribers on Max’s cheapest Basic with Ads plan no longer have access to the CNN Max and Bleacher Report Sports add-ons. Anyone on the base tier who would like access to this content must upgrade to a more expensive plan.

4

Fubo

Prices of Fubo’s US English-based plans increased by $5 per month. The Essential and Pro plans now cost $85 monthly, while the Elite plan costs $95 monthly. This price hike follows Fubo and Disney’s announcement to merge their live TV businesses. With this price hike, Fubo now costs more than competitor platforms like YouTube TV. If you’re a Fubo customer, this is a good time to check if you’re getting a better price elsewhere.

3

Disney

Disney was another company that raised the prices of its streaming plans for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Thanks to the price hike, Disney+’s ad-supported plan costs $10 per month (up from $8 per month). The ad-free plan is up by $2 and now costs $16 monthly. Likewise, Hulu’s ad-supported plan has gone up by $2, costing $10 per month, while the ad-free plan has gone up by a dollar to $19 per month. ESPN+ has also gone up in price, from $11 monthly to $12 monthly. The company’s streaming bundles weren’t spared.

The Disney Duo Basic plan (which includes Disney+ and Hulu with ads) went up by a dollar to $11. Similarly, the Disney Bundle Trio Basic plan (which includes Disney+, Hulu with ads, and ESPN+) increased by $2 to $17 per month. However, the company is releasing features like curated playlists to make its plans more appealing to customers. Only time will tell whether this is enough to retain and pull more customers.

2

Sling TV

Towards the end of 2024, Sling TV increased the price of its base plans by $6. As a result, the Orange plan and the Blue plan cost $46 each monthly. The Sling Orange & Blue plan also saw a price hike, from $55 to $61 per month. Unlike other streaming services, Sling has maintained steady prices in the recent past. This was the first price hike in almost two years.

Also, despite the recent price hikes, Sling TV is more affordable than other live TV platforms. The company offers a separate service called Sling Freestream for free. This platform has a range of on-demand and live content and is worth exploring if you’re looking for a budget-friendly streaming alternative.

1

Discovery+

Discovery+ is bumping up its subscription prices, albeit marginally. The ad-supported plan will cost $6 per month (up by $1), while the ad-free plan will cost $10 per month (up by $1). The platform has various categories of content, from true crime to paranormal documentaries and nature and animal shows, so it’s worth keeping despite the price increase.

Explore free streaming sites before you sign up for a paid option

While you don’t have to cancel every streaming subscription to save money, it’s a good idea to only pay for a couple of subscriptions at any time. This way, you can explore the content on all the platforms you pay for without signing up for multiple services you can’t use.

If you’d like to go one step further, numerous free movie streaming sites are worth exploring. These sites might not have a catalog as vast as Netflix or Prime Video, but they offer a solid selection of content. The best part is that they’re free. You can use them alongside your paid subscriptions to expand your options. You can also use them solo to cut costs.