Streaming was supposed to rescue viewers from cable bills, then Netflix went from $7.99 to $19.99 and the rest followed

Streaming services have reached a point where the monthly cost of a handful of subscriptions can rival, or even exceed, the cable bills they were designed to replace. As detailed by BroBible, data shows that streaming services have, on average, increased their prices by at least 100% since launching.

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. A recent post on X by Morning Brew highlighted the climb, noting that Netflix has gone from $7.99 to $19.99, a 150% jump.

Netflix has implemented price increases in three of the last five years. Its current U.S. plans start at $8.99 per month for Standard with ads, while the Standard plan costs $19.99 and the Premium plan costs $26.99, according to the Netflix Help Center.

Netflix is far from the only service charging more

Disney+ has seen an even steeper climb, going from $6.99 at its 2019 launch to $21.49 today, a 207% increase with a price hike every year since 2021. Apple TV+ has risen 200%, from $4.99 to $14.99, while Peacock has doubled its monthly fee from $9.99 to $19.99.

Hulu, now $21.49 per month, is up 80% since 2015, with price hikes in four of the last five years. HBO Max, which previously rebranded as Max, is up 23% since 2020, and Paramount+ has seen a 40% increase since 2021.

The rising costs have seemingly led to a spike in physical media consumption among younger generations. Studies have found that 4K Blu-ray sales rose 12% in the U.S. in 2025, marking the format’s first year of growth since 2018.

The broader physical media market’s decline also slowed sharply, from a 23% drop in 2024 to roughly 9% last year. Vinyl has posted 18 straight years of sales growth, with Gen Z buyers leading the charge.

North American box office revenue is projected to hit roughly $9.9 billion in 2026, up about 11% from last year. Premium formats are also booming, as IMAX pulled in a record $1.28 billion in 2025, up 40% year over year.

Gen Z is leading the return to theaters, with 87% catching at least one movie in theaters this year compared to 58% of Baby Boomers. The generation is also averaging more annual visits than any other.

Netflix has also restricted account sharing to a single household, defined as a collection of devices connected to the internet at the main residence where the account is used. Subscribers who want to share must pay for extra members at $7.99 per month with ads or $9.99 without ads, with the Premium plan allowing up to two extra members.