Oct 24 Podcast #1224: Streaming Price Hikes: A Historical Look
On this week’s show we look at the streamers and their pricing history. Are they keeping up with inflation or are they seeing how far they can keep raising prices. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news.
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Today's Show:
News:
- Apple TV Revs Up to Compete, For Real, In Streaming
- 86 Years Ago NBC Made History with First Televised Pro Football Game in 1939
- HBO Max raises prices on all plans while WBD reevaluates future
Other:
- Roomie Remote
- HT Guys Music Playlist on Apple Music
- HT Guys Music Playlist on Amazon Music
- HT Guys Music Playlist on Spotify
- Ara's Woodworking
Streaming Price Hikes: A Historical Look
Netflix
Netflix has raised prices multiple times since launching its streaming service in 2007, with increases tied to content investments and competition. The service now offers four tiers: ad-supported Standard with Ads, Basic (ad-free, one screen), Standard (ad-free, two screens), and Premium (ad-free, four screens, 4K). Below is a summary of U.S. monthly prices for the most popular tiers (Standard and Premium) over time.
|
Year |
Date |
Standard Plan |
Premium Plan |
Notes |
|
2010 |
Launch (streaming-only) |
$7.99 |
N/A |
Basic streaming plan introduced. |
|
2011 |
Feb |
$7.99 |
N/A |
No change. |
|
2014 |
May |
$8.99 |
N/A |
First major streaming hike. |
|
2015 |
N/A |
$9.99 |
$11.99 |
Introduction of HD tier. |
|
2017 |
Oct |
$10.99 |
$13.99 |
Subtle rollout. |
|
2019 |
Jan |
$12.99 |
$15.99 |
Basic introduced at $8.99 (discontinued 2023). |
|
2020 |
Oct |
$13.99 |
$17.99 |
Response to content costs. |
|
2022 |
Jan |
$15.49 |
$19.99 |
Largest hike at the time. |
|
2023 |
Oct |
N/A |
N/A |
Ads tier launched at $6.99. |
|
2024 |
Jan |
$15.49 |
$22.99 |
Basic discontinued. |
|
2025 |
Jan |
$18.00 |
$25.00 |
All plans increased; ads tier to $8.00. |
Prices are monthly in USD; annual options offer ~17% savings. Current as of October 2025. Note - $8 in 2010 is worth approximately $11.57 in October 2025
Disney+
Launched in 2019 at a competitive $6.99/month, Disney+ has seen nearly annual increases, often bundled with Hulu/ESPN+. It now has two main tiers: ad-supported Basic and ad-free Premium. Prices reflect U.S. monthly rates for standalone Premium (most common).
|
Year |
Date |
Basic (Ads) |
Premium (Ad-Free) |
Notes |
|
2019 |
Nov (Launch) |
N/A |
$6.99 |
Single ad-free tier. |
|
2020 |
N/A |
N/A |
$6.99 |
No change. |
|
2021 |
Jan |
N/A |
$7.99 |
First hike. |
|
2022 |
Dec |
$7.99 |
$10.99 |
Ads tier introduced. |
|
2023 |
Oct |
$7.99 |
$13.99 |
Bundle prices also rose. |
|
2024 |
Oct |
$9.99 |
$15.99 |
Ads tier up $2. |
|
2025 |
Oct |
$12.99 |
$17.99 |
All plans up $2–$3; annual Premium $169.99. |
Annual billing saves ~16% (e.g., Premium $139.99/year in 2024). Bundles start at $9.99/month with Hulu/ESPN+. Note - $7 in 2019 is worth approximately $9 in October 2025 dollars
Hulu
Hulu, launched in 2007, has fluctuated prices but stabilized post-Disney acquisition (2019). It offers ad-supported, ad-free, and Live TV tiers. Focus here on on-demand plans (most subscribed).
|
Year |
Date |
Ad-Supported |
Ad-Free |
Notes |
|
2007 |
Launch |
$9.99 |
N/A |
Early ad-free only. |
|
2010 |
N/A |
$7.99 |
$7.99 |
Ads tier introduced. |
|
2014 |
N/A |
$7.99 |
$11.99 |
Ad-free split. Sept 2015 |
|
2018 |
N/A |
$7.99 |
$15.99 |
Live TV at $39.99. |
|
2019 |
Jan |
$5.99 |
$11.99 |
Promo drop to $5.99 ads. |
|
2021 |
Oct |
$6.99 |
$12.99 |
$1 increase both. |
|
2022 |
Oct |
$7.99 |
$14.99 |
$1 hike. |
|
2023 |
Oct |
$7.99 |
$17.99 |
Ad-free up $3. |
|
2024 |
N/A |
$9.99 |
$18.99 |
Further increases. |
|
2025 |
Oct |
$11.99 |
$18.99 |
Ads up $2; bundles up $2–$7. |
Annual ad-supported: $79.99 (2023) to $119.99 (2025). Live TV starts at $82.99/month. Note - $10 in 2007 is worth approximately $15.19 in October 2025 dollars.
Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video is bundled with Amazon Prime (shipping/music perks), launched 2006. Standalone option added in 2016. Prices reflect full Prime membership (includes Video); standalone is $8.99/month ad-supported.
|
Year |
Date |
Monthly Prime |
Annual Prime |
Notes |
|
2005 |
Launch |
N/A |
$79 |
Video added later. |
|
2007 |
N/A |
N/A |
$79 |
No change. |
|
2011 |
N/A |
N/A |
$79 |
Video streaming begins. |
|
2014 |
N/A |
N/A |
$99 |
First major hike. |
|
2018 |
N/A |
$12.99 |
$119 |
Monthly option emphasized. |
|
2022 |
Feb |
$14.99 |
$139 |
Post-pandemic increase. |
|
2024 |
Jan |
$14.99 |
$139 |
Ads introduced; ad-free +$2.99. |
|
2025 |
N/A |
$14.99 |
$139 |
No change; standalone $8.99. |
Prime Video alone: $8.99/month (ads) or $10.99 (ad-free). 200M+ Prime members globally.
HBO Max (formerly Max (formerly HBO Max))
Launched 2020 as HBO Max ($14.99 ad-free), rebranded Max in 2023. Frequent hikes focus on premium content. Tiers: Basic (ads), Standard (ad-free, 1080p), Premium (4K).
|
Year |
Date |
Basic (Ads) |
Standard (Ad-Free) |
Premium (4K Ad-Free) |
Notes |
|
2020 |
May (Launch) |
N/A |
N/A |
$14.99 |
Single ad-free tier. |
|
2021 |
Jun |
$9.99 |
N/A |
$14.99 |
Ads tier added. |
|
2023 |
Jan |
$9.99 |
$15.99 |
$19.99 |
First hike post-rebrand. |
|
2024 |
Jun |
$9.99 |
$16.99 |
$20.99 |
$1 increases. |
|
2025 |
Oct |
$10.99 |
$18.49 |
$22.99 |
$1–$2 hikes; annual Premium $229.99. |
Annual saves ~17% (e.g., Premium $199.99 in 2024). Bundles with Disney+/Hulu at $16.99/month. Note - $15 in 2020 is worth $18.72 in 2025 dollars
Paramount+
Evolved from CBS All Access (2014). Rebranded 2021 with tiers: Essential (ads) and Premium (ad-free + Showtime). Sports/live TV drive hikes.
|
Year |
Date |
Essential (Ads) |
Premium (Ad-Free + Showtime) |
Notes |
|
2014 |
Oct (CBS All Access) |
$5.99 |
$9.99 |
Launch. |
|
2017 |
N/A |
$5.99 |
$9.99 |
No major change. |
|
2018 |
N/A |
$5.99 |
$9.99 |
Stable. |
|
2021 |
Mar (Rebrand) |
$4.99 |
$9.99 |
Promo Essential. |
|
2023 |
Aug |
$5.99 |
$11.99 |
$2 Premium hike. |
|
2024 |
Jun |
$7.99 |
$12.99 |
Essential up $2 for new subs. |
|
2025 |
N/A |
$7.99 |
$12.99 |
Annual Essential $59.99. |
Annual saves ~17–20%. Sports bundles (e.g., NFL) add value. Note - $10 in October 2014 is equivalent to approximately $12.65 in October 2025 dollars.
Peacock
NBCUniversal's Peacock launched in 2020 with a free tier (phased out 2023). Tiers: Premium (ads), Premium Plus (ad-free). Olympics/sports fuel rapid increases.
|
Year |
Date |
Premium (Ads) |
Premium Plus (Ad-Free) |
Notes |
|
2020 |
Apr (Launch) |
$4.99 |
$9.99 |
Free tier available. |
|
2021 |
N/A |
$4.99 |
$9.99 |
No change. |
|
2023 |
Jul |
$5.99 |
$11.99 |
First hike; free tier ends. |
|
2024 |
Jul |
$7.99 |
$13.99 |
$2 increases. |
|
2025 |
Jul |
$10.99 |
$16.99 |
$3 hikes; "Select" tier test at $7.99 (limited content). |
Annual Premium $109.99 (2025). Discounts for students/military (~$2–$5.99/month). Live sports (NFL/Olympics) key draw. Note - $10 in 2020 is worth $12.48 in today's dollars (October 2025)
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