On this week’s show we look at the streamers and their pricing history. Are they keeping up with inflation or are they seeing how far they can keep raising prices. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news.
News:
Apple TV Revs Up to Compete, For Real, In Streaming 86 Years Ago NBC Made History with First Televised Pro Football Game in 1939 HBO Max raises prices on all plans while WBD reevaluates futureOther:
Roomie Remote Streaming Price Hikes: A Historical LookNetflix
Netflix has raised prices multiple times since launching its streaming service in 2007, with increases tied to content investments and competition. The service now offers four tiers: ad-supported Standard with Ads, Basic (ad-free, one screen), Standard (ad-free, two screens), and Premium (ad-free, four screens, 4K). Below is a summary of U.S. monthly prices for the most popular tiers (Standard and Premium) over time.
Year
Date
Standard Plan
Premium Plan
Notes
2010
Launch (streaming-only)
$7.99
N/A
Basic streaming plan introduced.
2011
Feb
$7.99
N/A
No change.
2014
May
$8.99
N/A
First major streaming hike.
2015
N/A
$9.99
$11.99
Introduction of HD tier.
2017
Oct
$10.99
$13.99
Subtle rollout.
2019
Jan
$12.99
$15.99
Basic introduced at $8.99 (discontinued 2023).
2020
Oct
$13.99
$17.99
Response to content costs.
2022
Jan
$15.49
$19.99
Largest hike at the time.
2023
Oct
N/A
N/A
Ads tier launched at $6.99.
2024
Jan
$15.49
$22.99
Basic discontinued.
2025
Jan
$18.00
$25.00
All plans increased; ads tier to $8.00.
Prices are monthly in USD; annual options offer ~17% savings. Current as of October 2025. Note - $8 in 2010 is worth approximately $11.57 in October 2025
Disney+
Launched in 2019 at a competitive $6.99/month, Disney+ has seen nearly annual increases, often bundled with Hulu/ESPN+. It now has two main tiers: ad-supported Basic and ad-free Premium. Prices reflect U.S. monthly rates for standalone Premium (most common).
Year
Date
Basic (Ads)
Premium (Ad-Free)
Notes
2019
Nov (Launch)
N/A
$6.99
Single ad-free tier.
2020
N/A
N/A
$6.99
No change.
2021
Jan
N/A
$7.99
First hike.
2022
Dec
$7.99
$10.99
Ads tier introduced.
2023
Oct
$7.99
$13.99
Bundle prices also rose.
2024
Oct
$9.99
$15.99
Ads tier up $2.
2025
Oct
$12.99
$17.99
All plans up $2–$3; annual Premium $169.99.
Annual billing saves ~16% (e.g., Premium $139.99/year in 2024). Bundles start at $9.99/month with Hulu/ESPN+. Note - $7 in 2019 is worth approximately $9 in October 2025 dollars
Hulu
Hulu, launched in 2007, has fluctuated prices but stabilized post-Disney acquisition (2019). It offers ad-supported, ad-free, and Live TV tiers. Focus here on on-demand plans (most subscribed).
Year
Date
Ad-Supported
Ad-Free
Notes
2007
Launch
$9.99
N/A
Early ad-free only.
2010
N/A
$7.99
$7.99
Ads tier introduced.
2014
N/A
$7.99
$11.99
Ad-free split. Sept 2015
2018
N/A
$7.99
$15.99
Live TV at $39.99.
2019
Jan
$5.99
$11.99
Promo drop to $5.99 ads.
2021
Oct
$6.99
$12.99
$1 increase both.
2022
Oct
$7.99
$14.99
$1 hike.
2023
Oct
$7.99
$17.99
Ad-free up $3.
2024
N/A
$9.99
$18.99
Further increases.
2025
Oct
$11.99
$18.99
Ads up $2; bundles up $2–$7.
Annual ad-supported: $79.99 (2023) to $119.99 (2025). Live TV starts at $82.99/month. Note - $10 in 2007 is worth approximately $15.19 in October 2025 dollars.
Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video is bundled with Amazon Prime (shipping/music perks), launched 2006. Standalone option added in 2016. Prices reflect full Prime membership (includes Video); standalone is $8.99/month ad-supported.
Year
Date
Monthly Prime
Annual Prime
Notes
2005
Launch
N/A
$79
Video added later.
2007
N/A
N/A
$79
No change.
2011
N/A
N/A
$79
Video streaming begins.
2014
N/A
N/A
$99
First major hike.
2018
N/A
$12.99
$119
Monthly option emphasized.
2022
Feb
$14.99
$139
Post-pandemic increase.
2024
Jan
$14.99
$139
Ads introduced; ad-free +$2.99.
2025
N/A
$14.99
$139
No change; standalone $8.99.
Prime Video alone: $8.99/month (ads) or $10.99 (ad-free). 200M+ Prime members globally.
HBO Max (formerly Max (formerly HBO Max))
Launched 2020 as HBO Max ($14.99 ad-free), rebranded Max in 2023. Frequent hikes focus on premium content. Tiers: Basic (ads), Standard (ad-free, 1080p), Premium (4K).
Year
Date
Basic (Ads)
Standard (Ad-Free)
Premium (4K Ad-Free)
Notes
2020
May (Launch)
N/A
N/A
$14.99
Single ad-free tier.
2021
Jun
$9.99
N/A
$14.99
Ads tier added.
2023
Jan
$9.99
$15.99
$19.99
First hike post-rebrand.
2024
Jun
$9.99
$16.99
$20.99
$1 increases.
2025
Oct
$10.99
$18.49
$22.99
$1–$2 hikes; annual Premium $229.99.
Annual saves ~17% (e.g., Premium $199.99 in 2024). Bundles with Disney+/Hulu at $16.99/month. Note - $15 in 2020 is worth $18.72 in 2025 dollars
Paramount+
Evolved from CBS All Access (2014). Rebranded 2021 with tiers: Essential (ads) and Premium (ad-free + Showtime). Sports/live TV drive hikes.
Year
Date
Essential (Ads)
Premium (Ad-Free + Showtime)
Notes
2014
Oct (CBS All Access)
$5.99
$9.99
Launch.
2017
N/A
$5.99
$9.99
No major change.
2018
N/A
$5.99
$9.99
Stable.
2021
Mar (Rebrand)
$4.99
$9.99
Promo Essential.
2023
Aug
$5.99
$11.99
$2 Premium hike.
2024
Jun
$7.99
$12.99
Essential up $2 for new subs.
2025
N/A
$7.99
$12.99
Annual Essential $59.99.
Annual saves ~17–20%. Sports bundles (e.g., NFL) add value. Note - $10 in October 2014 is equivalent to approximately $12.65 in October 2025 dollars.
Peacock
NBCUniversal's Peacock launched in 2020 with a free tier (phased out 2023). Tiers: Premium (ads), Premium Plus (ad-free). Olympics/sports fuel rapid increases.
Year
Date
Premium (Ads)
Premium Plus (Ad-Free)
Notes
2020
Apr (Launch)
$4.99
$9.99
Free tier available.
2021
N/A
$4.99
$9.99
No change.
2023
Jul
$5.99
$11.99
First hike; free tier ends.
2024
Jul
$7.99
$13.99
$2 increases.
2025
Jul
$10.99
$16.99
$3 hikes; "Select" tier test at $7.99 (limited content).
Annual Premium $109.99 (2025). Discounts for students/military (~$2–$5.99/month). Live sports (NFL/Olympics) key draw. Note - $10 in 2020 is worth $12.48 in today's dollars (October 2025)
