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 future

Other:

• Roomie Remote

Streaming Price Hikes: A Historical Look

Netflix

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)