It now costs households over $120 every month to subscribe to nine of the leading streaming services, with the vast majority having increased in price in the last year.
Analysis by DailyMail.com found that it would cost Americans $121.41 a month to subscribe to ad-free plans with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Peacock, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu and Britbox.
This sum could climb even higher if households also signed up to other video streaming platforms including ESPN+, NFL+ or YouTube Premium.
A 2022 study from market research firm Parks Associates found a quarter of American households subscribe to nine or more streaming services, while 50 percent are signed up to at least four.
And in the last year, increased competition has meant that services have hiked their prices – some by as much as 43 percent – putting increasing pressure on household budgets.
It now costs households over $120 every month to subscribe to nine of the leading streaming services, DailyMail.com analysis found
Subscribing to a suite of streaming services has previously been seen as a more cost effective alternative to cable TV, which can see expenses add up when contracts and fees are taken into account.
But as the era of cheap streaming appears to be coming to an end, it may not actually save money to cut the cable cord completely.
The price of cable varies significantly by state – and can cost as much as $200 a month for a bundled package with TV, internet and phone connection.
But the average TV-only service costs around $83 a month, according to latest data from CableTV.com.
As more and more streaming services have flooded the market, companies have had to hike their prices and alter their business models in an attempt to improve profitability.
In January 2023, it would have cost just over $100 a month to subscribe to the same nine major streaming services, DailyMail.com analysis found.
Eight of the nine major streamers raised their prices last year. Apple TV+, for example, increased the price of its ad-free tier by a huge 43 percent – from $6.99 to $9.99.
Disney+, meanwhile, hiked the price of its offering by 27 percent – to $13.99 from $10.99.
Britbox, home to TV shows from the UK, added $1 a month to its price – taking its commercial-free subscription cost to $8.99.
The vast majority of streaming platforms have increased in price in the last year – some by as much as 43 percent
Over the course of last year, Netflix clamped down on password sharing, and axed its $9.99 per month ad-free plan for new members. This means its cheapest plan without commercials is now $15.49 a month.
It also increased its premium ad-free plan, which allows users to add two extra members from different households – from $19.99 to $22.99 a month.
Netflix, Max, Peacock, Paramount+, Disney+ and Hulu, however, all sell subscriptions with commercials for a cut price. Peacock and Paramount+ offer the cheapest plans in the market at $5.99 a month minus tax.
Last week, Amazon sparked outrage by announcing it would begin to roll out ads on Prime Video from January 29 – and users would have to pay an extra $2.99 each month to avoid the interruption.
Currently, Prime Video does not have commercials and is free, among the other perks, for customers who subscribe to Amazon Prime for $14.99 a month.
Americans can also pay solely for Prime Video for $8.99 a month, so so the ad-free version will seemingly cost almost $12 per month once the change comes in.
As more and more streaming services have flooded the market, companies have had to hike their prices and alter their business models in an attempt to improve profitability
However some of the leading streaming services do offer the option for a bundled subscription as a way to lower the cost burden on households opting for a variety of platforms.
The Disney+ premium offering without ads costs $13.99 a month, and Hulu’s commercial-free plan is $17.99 a month.
But both providers, alongside sports streamer ESPN+, offer a variety of combination deals.
For example, users can buy the Disney Bundle Duo Premium, which includes Disney+ without ads and Hulu without ads, for just $19.99 a month – saving $11.99.
Or the Disney Bundle Trio Premium offering – which costs $24.99 a month – includes Disney+ without ads, Hulu without ads and ESPN+ with ads.