Streaming Price Increases: Small Hikes Add Up

How much have streaming prices increased since 2019?

When Apple TV (then called Apple TV+) launched on 1 November 2019, it cost $4.99 a month ^[1]. Since 28 August 2026, a monthly plan costs $14.99 ^[5]. That is three times the launch price in a little under seven years, an average increase of about 17.5% a year. It got there in four steps:

Sources: ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Peacock followed a similar path. Its Premium plan launched nationally on 15 July 2020 at $4.99 a month ^[6] and now costs $12.99 for new subscribers ^[10], about 2.6 times as much, or roughly 17% a year.

Sources: ^{[6] [7] [8] [9] [10]} In 2023 the new prices applied immediately to new subscribers and from 17 August to existing ones.

Neither service ever raised its price by more than a few dollars at a time. That is how most streaming price increases work: the steps are small, the total is not.

Are streaming prices rising faster than inflation?

Yes, by a wide margin. The US consumer price index rose from 257.208 in November 2019 to 336.940 in September 2026 ^{[11] [12]}: an increase of 31%. Over almost the same period, Apple TV’s monthly price rose 200% and Peacock Premium’s rose 160%.

Even after adjusting for inflation, Apple TV costs more than twice its launch price (+129%) and Peacock Premium almost twice as much (+99%). In the latest 12 months alone, consumer prices rose 3.7% ^[12], while a price that rises 17% a year moves four to five times faster.

Which streaming services raised prices in the past year?

Apple TV and Peacock are not exceptions: streaming price increases have become routine. PriceStub tracks the published prices of the major US video and music services. Of the 13 we track, 12 changed their price between October 2025 and August 2026.

PriceStub data, US list prices for new subscribers, as of 26 October 2026. Each service page shows the full price history and its sources. The 13th service we track, Deezer, last changed its US price in March 2024.

A pattern is visible: several services changed prices on the same day (Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max on 21 October 2025), and most raised the price of their cheapest plan, the one many people choose to save money.

Why do small price increases feel smaller than they are?

Each increase is judged against the price you paid last month, not the price you started with. A move from $10.99 to $12.99 is described as “$2 more”, but it is an 18.2% increase. After four or five such steps, the starting price is long forgotten.

Timing makes it less visible too. Peacock’s 2026 increase applied to new and returning subscribers from 18 August, while existing subscribers moved to the new price on their first bill on or after 17 September ^[10]. Many people meet the new price weeks after the announcement, when the news has already passed. Apple said existing Apple TV subscribers would be notified about a month before being charged the new price. ^[5]

What can you do about streaming price increases?

There is no single right answer, but there are a few levers:

• Compare annual and monthly plans. Apple TV costs $119 a year or $14.99 a month ^[5]. Twelve monthly payments add up to $179.88, so the annual plan costs about 34% less. An annual plan also fixes your price for that year.
• Check the ad-supported tier. Cheaper tiers exist on most services, though the table above shows they are not immune to increases either.
• Look at bundles carefully. A bundle can be cheaper than separate subscriptions, but only if you use most of what is inside it.
• Know when your price changes. Increases often reach existing subscribers weeks after they are announced. PriceStub’s service pages show each plan’s price history with sources, and an app such as SubLens can remind you which subscriptions you pay for and what they cost.

This guide explains how prices change. It is not financial advice.