Streaming platforms seek new revenue streams as consumers’ fed up with price hikes

Consumers appear to be reaching their red line on how much they are willing to pay for streaming services, ranging from movies, music, video games to access to sporting broadcasts. This has prompted major platforms to take an unconventional step for commercial enterprises by actually moderating subscription price increases while seeking alternative ways to boost revenue.

According to new data from Ampere Analysis, average price increases across Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video have fallen significantly in recent years. The average increase per subscription declined from 24% in 2023-24 to 14% in 2025-26, while the average increase in dollar terms slipped from $1.67 to $1.54, as highlighted in an article by entertainment outlet Deadline.

The trend suggests streaming companies may be approaching the limits of consumers’ willingness to absorb higher monthly bills. The growing availability of alternative entertainment options, including free, ad-supported platforms, has given consumers more choices while household budgets have become increasingly constrained.

Ampere said the development could mean that “streamers are moving closer to the limits of consumers’ willingness to pay,” potentially leaving companies with less room for substantial price increases in the future.

“The decline in price increases comes as streamers diversify how they monetize their audiences,” Jaanika Juntson, a senior research manager at Ampere Analysis, said. She added that advertising has become “an increasingly important revenue stream” and is influencing how much platforms increase subscription prices.

This has encouraged streaming companies to keep increases relatively modest on ad-supported plans while applying larger hikes to tiers without advertising. Ampere found that ad-free subscriptions experienced average increases of $1.61, compared with $1.21 for plans carrying advertisements.

The three services have nevertheless taken different approaches to pricing. Netflix’s prices have “remained broadly stable” across its plans over the past three years, while Disney+ has “seen the clearest shift toward more modest increases.” Prime Video has implemented the fewest increases, which Ampere said is “likely reflecting the broader role of the Prime subscription within Amazon’s retail business.”

The frequency of price increases has also varied between the platforms. Overall, however, Ampere’s findings suggest that streaming companies are becoming less reliant on subscription price hikes as a means of driving revenue growth.

Price structure of streaming

The phenomenon known as “streamflation” has been a feature of the streaming era for years. As platforms have expanded and the cost of acquiring and producing content has risen, subscription prices have followed.

The pursuit of expensive live sports rights has become one factor contributing to those rising costs. Streaming media expert and consultant Dan Rayburn cited Paramount as an example, noting that the company agreed to a seven-year deal last August making Paramount+ the exclusive US home of UFC events before raising prices across its ad-supported and ad-free plans several months later.

“It’s billions of dollars they just spent,” Rayburn said. “They need to somehow pay for this.”

Historically, streaming companies tended to spread increases over time, using relatively small price rises to make them more acceptable to subscribers. But those increases can add up quickly. A Deloitte study published in March found that the average US consumer already subscribes to four major streaming services and spends about $69 per month on them.

Major platforms including Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV and Paramount+ raised their prices last year. Along with Prime Video, they have also recorded some of their sharpest increases in recent years, with prices for some ad-supported and ad-free plans rising by at least 50% since 2022, according to data reported by CableTV.com.

The increases have prompted widespread frustration among consumers on social media, although it remains unclear how many subscribers have actually followed through on threats to cancel their services.

The backlash nevertheless points to growing dissatisfaction with the cost of streaming. Deloitte found that nearly three-quarters of consumers, or 73%, are tired of streaming services they subscribe to continually raising their prices.

For streaming companies, the challenge is therefore becoming increasingly clear: with consumers reluctant to absorb further increases, platforms may need to rely more heavily on advertising and other revenue streams rather than simply charging subscribers more.

By Nazrin Sadigova