iStockphoto / Djavan Rodriguez
Streaming services prices have been increasing non-stop since launching
Entertainment streaming services were once pitched as a cheaper alternative to cable TV. That is certainly no longer the case, especially with the streamers’ massive price hikes in recent years.
Every ad-free plan offered by the major streaming services has gone up at least 20% since launch, and most have raised prices in three or more of the last five years.
Data shows that streaming services have, on average, increased their prices by at least 100% since launching
Morning Brew put together a tweet tracking the price hikes, tracking the streamer’s starting price to where it’s at now. Netflix has gone from $7.99 to $19.99, a 150% jump, with increases in three of the last five years.
Disney+ has climbed from $6.99 at its 2019 launch to $21.49 today, up 207%, with a price hike every year since 2021. Apple TV+ has executed a whopping 200% increase, from $4.99 to $14.99.
Hulu — now $21.49/month — is up 80% since 2015, with hikes in four of the last five years. Peacock has doubled its monthly fee from $9.99 to $19.99. HBO Max is up 23% since 2020, and Paramount+ is up 40% since 2021.
Price history of standard (ad-free) streaming plans, since launch:
Netflix (2010)
• $7.99 –> $19.99 (+150%)
• Increases in 3 of last 5 yearsHulu (2015)
• $11.99 –> $21.49 (+80%)
• Increases in 4 of last 5 yearsApple TV (2019)
• $4.99 –> $14.99 (+200%)
• Increases… pic.twitter.com/SeVUJOCIeC— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) September 23, 2026
The breadth, quality, impermanence, and cost of a decade-plus of streaming have seemingly led to a spike in physical media consumption among younger generations.
Studies in recent years have found that 4K Blu-ray sales rose 12% in the U.S. in 2025, the format’s first year of growth since 2018, while the broader physical media market’s decline slowed sharply, from a 23% drop in 2024 to roughly 9% last year.
Vinyl has also now posted 18 straight years of sales growth, driven largely by Gen Z buyers.
A similar trend is unfolding in cinemas. North American box office revenue is projected to hit roughly $9.9 billion in 2026, up about 11% from last year, and Gen Z is leading the charge back into auditoriums — 87% of them caught at least one movie in theaters this year, compared to 58% of Baby Boomers, and they’re averaging more annual visits than any other generation.
Premium formats are also booming, as IMAX pulled in a record $1.28 billion in 2025, up 40% year-over-year.
Between theaters and physical media, the generation that grew up entirely on streaming seems to be trying to find ways to avoid them.