May 2025 marked a milestone for streaming video services. According to data collected by analytics firm Nielsen Holdings, streaming surpassed the combined TV usage of broadcast and cable. Streaming video accounted for 45% of TV watching over the course of the month, a level up 71% since 2021.
While individual streaming services can be inexpensive, buying a few packages or one with live TV can quickly rival the cost of cable. And it’s only getting more expensive.
“In 2025, we’ve seen waves of price hikes on big subscription services, and it’s costing consumers more than ever before,” Clay Cary, senior trends analyst at CouponFollow, said in an email.
While streaming services aren’t the only subscriptions raising prices this year, they represent the majority. Here’s a look at eight common subscriptions that have increased their rates in 2025.
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1. Netflix
2025 prices (monthly):
— Standard with ads: $7.99, up from $6.99
— Standard without ads: $17.99, up from $15.49
— Premium: $24.99, up from $22.99
— Extra member on standard no-ads plan: $8.99, up from $7.99pioneers of streaming services, transitioning from DVDs by
When they went into effect:
Jan. 21, 2025
Netflix was one of the early pioneers of streaming services, transitioning from DVDs by mail to online content in 2007. While monthly prices have steadily increased since 2013, the company maintained its standard plan price in 2023 and 2024, introducing an ad-supported subscription option.
“Unsurprisingly, Netflix is raising its subscription again in 2025,” Destiny Chatman, a consumer expert with the cash back website TopCashback, said in an email.
Netflix is also making it harder to share the service with others. “In the past few years, Netflix has made it a point to crack down on password sharing,” she said.
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2. YouTube TV
2025 price (monthly): $82.99, up from $72.99
When it went into effect: Jan. 13, 2025
YouTube began as a free platform for uploading and watching short videos, but has since evolved into a home for a wide range of content.YouTube TV was launched by YouTube in 2017 to enable users to watch live TV without a cable subscription. Originally $35 per month, its price is now more expensive than many traditional cable packages, according to Cary.
3. Discovery+
2025 prices: (monthly):
— Ad-supported plan: $5.99, up from $4.99
— Ad-free plan: $9.99, up from $8.99
When they went into effect:
Jan. 7, 2025
Discovery+ is a more niche streaming service, primarily offering content from Food Network, TLC, HGTV and similar channels. Its price has traditionally been lower than other streaming options, but even Discovery+ has raised rates in 2025.
“Subscription creep is quickly becoming the new budget killer, where tiny individual hikes add up across multiple services to cause damage to household budgets,” Cary said.
Bundling is one way to save, and while Discovery+ does not offer a bundle package, most of its content can be found on HBO Max (also known as Max).HBO Max has also increased its price in 2025 to $9.99 per month for the ad-supported plan, and made other changes as well.
“HBO Max reworked how they include live sports and news in their subscription tiers, adding them on as additional costs,” Todd Dipaola, executive chairman and founder at InMarket, said in an email.
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4. Fubo
2025 prices: (monthly):
— Essential and Pro plans: $84.99, up from $79.99
— Elite plan: $94.99, up from $89.99
When they went into effect:
Jan. 24, 2025
Fubo is another option for those looking for live TV and sports programming. Like YouTube TV, its pricing is comparable to that of traditional cable packages.
Since raising rates at the start of the year, Fubo has also restructured its offerings, ditching the Essentials plan for new customers and introducing a more affordable package for sports and broadcasting, which will debut later this year.
“Oftentimes we don’t realize the crossover in content from app to app,” Chatman said. “Searching for a similar app is the best way to continue consuming the content you love without breaking the bank.”
For instance, Sling TV might be one alternative for those seeking live TV and sports, although its offerings aren’t as expansive as Fubo. “We’ve also seen spikes from Sling, which increased Orange and Blue plans by $5.99 per month,” DiPaola said, but they still cost significantly less than the competition.
5. Plex
2025 prices:
— Plex Pass (monthly): $6.99, up from $4.99
— Plex Pass (annual): $69.99, up from $39.99
— Plex Pass (lifetime): $249.99, up from $119.99
When they went into effect:
April 29, 2025
Unlike other streaming media services, Plex offers traditional access to live and on-demand content, as well as a unique media server feature. With this server, users can store, organize and access their personal media collection from anywhere.
“To battle against these rising charges, it’s smart to review your subscriptions every few months,” Cary said. “Most people are surprised at how many services they’re paying for but never use.”
Plex also offers a free version if you rarely access your Plex collection away from home, an alternative to the Plex Pass.
6. AMC+
2025 prices (monthly):
— Ad-supported plan: $7.99, up from $6.99
— Ad-free plan: $9.99, up from $8.99
When they went into effect: Jan. 15, 2025
AMC+ is another streaming service with more niche offerings. On the platform, fans of The Walking Dead can find the show’s entire collection, as well as its spin-offs, and horror programming from Shudder. There are also shows and movies from BBC America, Sundance Now and IFC Films.
Even considering the recent price increase, AMC+ is a relative bargain compared to other services. However, you can get its ad-free programming for even less.
“If you have a subscription you plan to use all year, paying for a yearly subscription might be cheaper than paying monthly,” according to Chatman.
An annual ad-free subscription to AMC+ is $95.88, which works out to $7.99 per month. That saves subscribers $24 per year compared to the current ad-free monthly rate.
7. Microsoft 365
2025 prices:
— Monthly: $9.99, up from $6.99
— Annual: $99.99, up from $69.99
When they went into effect:
Feb. 14, 2025
Not all price increases in 2025 have been for video streaming services. Earlier this year, Microsoft 365 implemented its first price hike in 12 years, reportedly due to the introduction of Copilot AI tools to its suite of software.
Although the price increase took effect in February, many weren’t notified until it was time to renew. This is a common problem among subscription services, according to Cary.
“Hikes are typically rolled out quietly or buried in billings so consumers might not even know it until several months later,” Cary said.
PCWorld, an online tech publication, suggests finding a regular software version of Microsoft Office to avoid paying an ongoing subscription fee. You can currently purchase Office Home from Microsoft at a one-time price of $149.99, which provides desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Office Home does not offer cloud storage or app access, which are among the Microsoft 365 perks.
8. Amazon Music Unlimited
2025 prices: (monthly):
— Prime members: $11, up from $10
— Non-Prime members: $12, up from $11
— Family plans: $20, up from $17
When they went into effect:
March 5, 2025
Amazon Music Unlimited is a popular option for those who want to stream music without commercials or having to shuffle songs. Going ad-free on the service has just gotten a little more expensive.
Currently, Amazon Music offers a free version for Amazon Prime members, but it may incur an additional cost in the future. According to an article by MSN, an analyst with J.P. Morgan predicts that Prime memberships may rise from $139 to $159 next year. Still, the analysis finds that a Prime subscription delivers $1,430 in annual value, so it may still be a good deal even if the price increases.
All of these price hikes have prompted consumers to reconsider their streaming service subscriptions, and many have canceled their subscriptions in recent months.
“In fact, December 2024 and February 2025 saw the largest decreases in streaming services subscriptions – of more than 20% and 18%,into thei respectively – as price increases took effect,” Dipaola said. InMarket offers the free app Subscription Stopper to help people find and cancel unwanted subscriptions.
DiPaola recommended that people consider which of their subscriptions are worthwhile and which ones are eating into their monthly budgets.
“By keeping a close eye on every subscription they are paying for, consumers can evaluate which are worth that monthly cost and which might make sense to cut back on,” he said.
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