Streaming subscriptions can add up fast. This is largely because Netflix, Hulu and other popular entertainment platforms are becoming increasingly costly.
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It’s not uncommon for companies to raise monthly rates on an annual basis, which can quickly make a dent in your monthly budget — especially when you have several subscriptions.
Once a cheap form of entertainment, many popular subscriptions are now double their debut cost. Keep reading to find out how much several common streaming services have increased in price over the years.
Netflix
Current price: $6.99 per month (standard with ads), $15.49 per month (standard), $22.99 per month (premium).
In 2008, Netflix offered unlimited streaming to subscribers with a monthly subscription priced at $8.99 or more. However, the company offered its first streaming-only plan in 2011 for $7.99 per month, according to Android Authority.
Two years later in 2013, Netflix offered its first premium plan, which cost $11.99 per month. The standard plan stayed at $7.99 per month.
In 2014, a new basic plan was introduced for $7.99 per month. The standard plan increased to $8.99 per month, while the premium plan stayed at $11.99 per month.
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The standard plan increased to $9.99 per month in 2015, but the cost of the other two plans stayed the same. In 2017, the standard plan increased to $10.99 per month and the premium plan had a $2 price hike to $13.99 per month — the basic plan stayed the same.
Two years later in 2019, the cost of the basic plan increased to $8.99 per month, the standard plan rose to $12.99 per month and the premium plan surged to $15.99 per month. In 2020, the standard plan increased to $13.99 per month, the premium plan became $17.99 per month and the basic plan stayed the same.
In 2022, the basic plan increased to $9.99, the standard plan increased to $15.49 and the premium plan had a price hike to $19.99. A new standard with ads plan was introduced that year, which cost $6.99 per month.
The most recent price hike occurred in 2023, when the basic plan increased to $11.99 per month – not available to new subscribers and the premium plan increased to $22.99 per month. The price of the standard with ads plan and the standard plan remained the same.
Hulu
Current price: $9.99 per month (ad-supported) or $99.99 per year, $18.99 per month (no ads).
In 2023, Hulu raised prices to $7.99 per month for the ad-supported platform and $17.99 per month for the ad-free version, according to Forbes. This came one year after a 2022 rate hike that increased the ad-supported platform from $6.99 to $7.99 and the ad-free plan from $12.99 per month to $14.99 per month, reported Tech Crunch.
The price of Hulu with ads increased from $5.99 to $6.99 per month in 2021. Also impacted, the price of Hulu without ads increased from $11.99 to $12.99 per month, Variety notes.
A win for subscribers, Hulu decreased the cost of its ad-free subscription plan from $7.99 per month to $5.99 per month in 2019. The company launched its ad-free platform in 2015, which cost $11.99 per month, as opposed to the ad-supported version, which was $7.99 per month.
YouTube TV
Current price: $72.99 per month (base plan).
Launched as an alternative to cable, YouTube TV debuted in 2017 for $35 per month, according to Hollywood Reporter. In 2018, the price increased to $40 per month and rose again to $49.99 per month in 2019, per Yahoo Finance.
In 2020, the price increased to $64.99 per month. According to Hollywood Reporter, the current price of $72.99 per month has been in place since 2023.
Disney-Plus
Current price: $9.99 per month (basic), $15.99 per month (premium).
In 2019, Disney-Plus launched at a cost of $6.99 per month. The monthly rate increased to $7.99 in 2021, according to Variety.
Disney launched its ad-supported platform in 2022, creating two separate subscription tiers — $7.99 per month with ads and $10.99 per month without ads. In 2023, the ad-free platform increased to $13.99 per month, per Cinema Blend.
The most recent rate hike, in 2024, the ad-supported version increased to $9.99 per month, while the ad-free platform increased to $15.99 per month.
Apple TV-Plus
Current price: $9.99 per month.
In 2019, Apple TV-Plus debuted at $4.99 per month. The price increased to $6.99 per month in 2022 and surged to $9.99 per month — its current rate — in 2023, according to CNN.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Netflix, Hulu and Other Common Subscriptions Have Increased Over the Years
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