With services raising prices and introducing ads, is streaming starting to look like cable?
Streaming was supposed to free consumers from cable’s woes — high monthly prices, tons of ads, and unnecessary programming.
But recent developments at the biggest streaming services are starting to reveal a different reality, per Bloomberg.
Streaming services…
… are making price increases a regular occurrence:
Netflix raised the monthly price on its standard plan to $15.49/mo. in January, its third increase since 2019.
Disney recently announced upcoming increases for Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, and its bundle after already raising prices multiple times since launching in 2019
Both platforms also announced ad-supported plans at a lower cost.
But not so fast
In July, streaming surpassed cable consumption for the first time. Even so, the median price American consumers pay for streaming is $20-$30 per month, a far cry from the $79/mo. the average cable plan costs.
So, while costs are adding up, you’d have to subscribe to pretty much every platform to pay more than you would for cable.