The start of a new year streaming is overflowing with anticipation for all the beautiful things you will look at. You might get hooked on an underrated show, binge the return of a favorite, or stream a new Best Picture Oscar winner from your couch. It’s best to imagine the entertainment to come when you don’t consider the cost of watching it. could change – and it already is.
2026 has already brought a surge in services you can use to stream shows, movies, music, and live TV, such as Paramount Plus, Spotify, and Sling. Streamflation or not, you’re probably not going to shut down streaming completely this year, so we’re tracking every price hike from 2025 onwards. If you hit your spending limit, you can Cancel, run the services or search discounts.
Streaming price increases in 2026
Crunchyroll (February 2026)
THE anime streaming service Crunchyroll announced a price increase on February 2including an increase in its entry-level Fan subscription for the first time since 2019. Crunchyroll has closed its ad-supported free tier. about a month ago.
With this increase, which is in effect for new customers and begins March 4 for existing customers, Crunchyroll’s ad-free plans now cost $10 per month for Fan, $14 for Mega Fan, and $18 for Ultimate Fan, a $2 increase for all plans.
Amazon Music (February 2026)
Amazon Music Unlimited individual plans recently reached $13 per month (or $12 per month for Prime members – both increase by $1). Family plans increased by $2 to $22 per month. Prices took effect on February 3 for new customers, and current subscribers will pay more starting March 5. Amazon Music Unlimited has also adjusted prices. in 2025.
Paramount Plus (January 2026)
If you missed Paramount Plus in mid-January price increaseperhaps that’s because the details emerged two months earlier, in November 2025. When the hike came, it took the ad-supported Essential from $8 per month or $60 per year to $9 per month or $90 per year. The ad-free version of Paramount Plus, Premium, went from $13 per month to $14 and from $120 per year to $140.
Spotify (January 2026)
Spotify added to the pile of price hikes with its January 15 announcement. The updates included a $1 increase to the Premium Individual plan, effective immediately for newbies and in February for existing subscribers. Prices increased for Individual to $13 per month, Premium Duo to $19, Premium Family to $22, and Premium Student to $7.
Sling TV (January 2026)
Live TV streaming service Sling has changed the pricing of its Blue plans in some regions. It is increased in the markets where at least one local ABC, Fox or NBC station is available. Blue now costs $9 more (instead of $5) if you have all three locals, and $4 more (instead of free) if you have one or two. While new joiners saw the change in January, existing customers won’t be affected until their billing date, on or after February 20.
Streaming price increases in 2025
HBO Max (October 2025)
HBO Max raised its prices October 21just as the new series It: Welcome to Derry and I Love LA launch. The ad-supported Basic tier increased by $1 to $11 per month, and the ad-free Standard tier increased by $1.50 to $18.50 per month. The ad-free Premium tier increased from $2 to $23 per month.
The increase immediately affected new and existing customers during their first billing cycle starting November 20. The Disney streaming increases took effect the same day, increasing the price of HBO Max, Hulu and Disney Plus packages.
HBO Max streaming prices October 2025
| Previous price (monthly) | New price (monthly) | Previous price (annual) | New price (annual) | |
| HBO Max Basic with Ads | $10 | $11 | $100 | $110 |
| HBO Max Standard | $17 | $18.50 | $170 | $185 |
| HBO Max Premium | $21 | $23 | $210 | $230 |
Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Select, Hulu Plus Live TV (October 2025)
The freakiest ride of 2025 probably belonged to Disney. It is increases extended to Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Select packages, as well as bundled plans and Hulu Plus Live TV packages. Notably, ad-free Hulu and the Disney Plus and ad-free Hulu bundle did not see an increase. The changes took effect on the same day as HBO Max’s increase – October 21 – applying to existing customers on or after that date.
Disney streaming prices October 2025
| Previous price (with ads) | New price (with announcements) | Previous price (without advertising) | New price (without advertising) | |
| Disney+ | $10 | $12 | $16 | $19 |
| Hulu | $10 | $12 | $19 | no change |
| ESPN Select | $12 | $13 | — | — |
| Disney Plus, Hulu package | $11 | $13 | $20 | no change |
| Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Select Bundle | $17 | $20 | $27 | $30 |
| Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Max | $17 | $20 | $30 | $33 |
| Hulu Plus Live TV (with Disney Plus, ESPN Select) | $83 | $90 | $96 | $100 |
| Hulu Plus Live TV only | $82 | $89 | — | — |
DirecTV (October 2025)
The price increases may have affected DirecTV customers’ bills as of Oct. 5, according to a support page that asks customers to log in to learn more. A DirecTV representative told CNET that the company was communicating the update directly to customers and did not have details to share.
Philo (September 2025)
On September 30, low-budget live TV streamer Philo increased the price of its Core package and additional access to ad-supported HBO Max and Discovery Plus. Its subscription price increased by $5 to $33, with existing Core customers paying more starting October 30.
Apple TV (August 2025)
Before his renamed Apple TVthe streamer formerly known as Apple TV Plus I got a $3 increase on August 21. The ad-free service now costs $13 per month.
Peacock (July 2025)
The ad-supported and ad-free versions of Peacock rose $3 in Julybringing Premium to $11 per month and Premium Plus to $17 per month. Peacock also began testing a new $8 per month Select tier with current seasons of NBC and Bravo shows. Annual plans increased by $30 and the changes took effect for current customers starting August 22.
Netflix (January 2025)
It’s been over a year since Netflix raised its prices. The popular streaming service updated the price of its ad-based plan in 2025 for the first time since launching in 2022, increasing it from $1 to $8 per month. The streamer also increased its ad-free Standard plan from $2.50 to $18 per month, and its ad-free Premium plan from $2 to $25 per month.
Netflix streaming prices in January 2025
| Previous price (monthly) | New price (monthly) | |
| Netflix Standard with Ads | $7 | $8 |
| Netflix standard | $15.50 | $18 |
| Netflix Premium | $23 | $25 |
Drop in streaming prices
Fubo (January 2026)
A much less common phenomenon in the world of streaming, Fubo initiated some price reductions amid its carriage dispute with NBCUniversal. Fubo has reduced its monthly Pro and Elite subscriptions from $11 to $74 and $84, respectively, with existing customers paying less starting January 1. Here is more on the dispute and loss of Fubo’s NBCUniversal channels.
