With the writers’ strike over and the actors’ strike reportedly nearing an agreement, the streaming networks are ready to get back to work. They’re also ready to raise prices as they enter a world with increased residuals on the table.
While some platforms like Disney+, Hulu, and technically Amazon, have already announced their upcoming price increases, others like Netflix are reportedly working on price jumps that could arrive sooner rather than later. So to make things easier on the average consumer, we broke down where all of the major streamers currently stand on subscription prices and made sure to include any increases that are coming or are already here.
You can follow our handy guide below:
Netflix
According to The Wall Street Journal, Netflix is reportedly “discussing” a price increase that will go into effect after the SAG-AFTRA strike is settled. The increase will reportedly target ad-free plans and will happen sometime in the “next few months.” The WSJ did not have an exact date or dollar amount for the price hike.
Here are the current monthly prices for Netflix plans as of this writing:
Standard with ads: $6.99
Standard without ads: $15.49
Premium without ads: $19.99
The Basic plan without ads was eliminated over the summer.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon technically has no plans for a price increase. However, there is a change coming to Prime Video that could still hit subscribers in the wallet.
Starting in early 2024, Prime Video shows and movies will include “limited advertisements.” The price for Amazon Prime will remain the same, but if users want to avoid the commercials, they will be able to purchase an ad-free option for $2.99/month. While this move technically isn’t a price increase, it will be for subscribers who wish to continue enjoying ad-free programming.
Here are the current prices for Amazon Prime as of this writing:
Amazon Prime membership: $14.99/month or $139/year
Just Prime Video membership: $8.99/month
Disney+ and Hulu
Starting on October 12, both Disney+ and Hulu will significantly raise the prices on their ad-free plans while making changes to their bundle subscriptions. In addition, Disney+ will reportedly be cracking down on password sharing in a move similar to Netflix.
Here are the new prices for Disney+ and Hulu starting October 12:
Disney+ Basic (with ads): $7.99/month or $79.99/year
Disney+ Premium: $13.99/month or $139.99/year
Hulu (with ads): $7.99/month or $79.99/year
Hulu: $17.99/month
Hulu Live TV: $75.99/month
Disney Bundle Duo Basic (Disney+ and Hulu with ads): $9.99/month
Disney Bundle Duo Premium (Disney+ and Hulu): $19.99/month
Disney Bundle Trio Basic (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ with ads): $14.99/month
Disney Bundle Trio Premium (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+): $24.99/month
Max
Max, the streaming platform formerly known as HBO Max, raised its prices back in April 2023. There are no known price increases on the horizon, but the trend among its competitors could change that.
Here are the current prices for Max as of this writing:
With Ads: $9.99/month or $99.99/month
Ad-Free: $15.99/month or $149.99/year
Ultimate Ad-Free: $19.99/month or $199.99/year
Paramount+
After adding Showtime as an option earlier in the year, Paramount+ changed up its subscription tiers and made a few slight price increases to reflect the extra added content that’s now available to users.
Here are the current prices for Paramount+ as of this writing:
Paramount+ Essential (with ads): $5.99/month or $59.99/year
Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (no ads): $11.99/month or $119.99/year
Peacock
Peacock saw its first price increase back in July 2023. The streamer also stopped offering a free ad-based tier to new subscribers (previous users can keep the plan) and Xfinity and Spectrum stopped offering free subscriptions to some cable subscribers.
Here are the current prices for Peacock as of this writing:
Premium (with ads): $5.99/month or $59.99/year
Premium Plus: $11.99/month or $119.99/year
Apple TV+
Unlike the other streamers, Apple TV+ hasn’t seen a price increase in over a year nor does it offer a plan with ads. In fact, it has the most streamlined subscription price of them all because there’s literally just one.
Here is the current price for Apple TV+ as of this writing:
Apple TV+: $6.99/month
That about covers it for the major platforms. Anyone miss cable yet?
