Streaming: No Longer the Cheaper Alternative

3 months ago · < 1 minute read

I remember back in the days before streaming when you had to pay for expensive cable packages that might not even have the channels you wanted. It was frustrating, right? So, when companies started floating the idea of streaming, a cheaper and simpler way to watch TV, it seemed like a great solution. Too bad it didn’t stay that way.

It seems like this is the year for streamers to raise their prices, although it’s hardly a new trend. Apple, for example, just raised their Apple+ package from $6.99 to $9.99 monthly. Disney+ recently did something similar, raising the price of itself and Hulu, a subsidiary. By now, if you have the most popular streaming services (Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+, according to subscriber data), you’re looking at shelling out nearly $40/month. 

And, of course, that’s not counting other popular streaming services like HBO Max, Paramount+, Apple+, Peacock, or more niche ones. If you also want access to subchannels like BritBox or AcornTV, those are an additional $5.99 monthly within your normal Amazon subscription. 

Plus, streamers have essentially trapped loyal fans into purchasing multiple subscriptions. For example, Law & Order Special Victims Unit, one of the longest-running TV shows, had its copyrights divided. Some (not all) of the seasons are available on Hulu, but if you want to watch the other seasons, you need a subscription to Peacock (owned by NBC, the original airer of the show). 

Not to mention how streamers are constantly dropping TV shows and movies, only for other streamers to pick them up. You could easily be looking at $900 per year with seven subscriptions. Considering that a Spectrum cable package costs about $720 a year, we might need to consider cable again.