Are Your Streaming Subscription Prices Increasing?

By Jaclyn Jermyn

Part of our efforts to make sure you’re getting great deals for your entertainment includes making sure you know what you’re paying for. You may have heard about Disney+ and Hulu both upping their subscription prices in late 2021—and now more companies are following suit. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most recent changes to popular platforms and what they mean for subscribers: 

Netflix has raised pricing on all of its plans between $1 and $2. The basic plan, which includes one stream at a time and does not include HD streaming, is now $9.99/monthly. The standard plan is now $15.49/monthly and includes HD streaming, and two simultaneous streams. The premium plan, which has HD and Ultra HD streaming, and four simultaneous streams is now $19.99.

Amazon Prime subscription holders (which includes access to the Amazon video entertainment library) will see a 17% increase to their bills, with the annual price jumping from $119 to $139 and the monthly price increasing from $12.99 to $14.99. For annual subscribers, you won’t see a change in price until your subscription renews. Monthly customers will see the change after March 25. This is the first time since 2018 that the price has changed.

If you'd like to reassess which services you're paying for, we're here to talk you through the process step-by-step and make sure you get the entertainment you want for the best price available. Visit MarshmallowStreaming.com to learn more or book a consultation. 

CBS News Streaming Launches

CBS originally launched its digital news service CBSN in 2014. Now, it has been completely overhauled and rebooted as CBS News Streaming. It's clear that companies are responding to the demand of cord-cutters seeking out reliable streaming news from big name outlets.

The platform offers 24/7 free access to national and international breaking news, in-depth reporting, documentary series and more. There’s even a Chicago-specific news channel. Popular CBS titles and segments like 60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Morning and On the Road with Steve Hartmann will also get a streaming spin. 

CBS is also returning to its roots with some of the programming. Person-To-Person, originally launched by award-winning broadcaster Edward R. Murrow in 1953, is coming back with CBS Evening News anchor Nora O’Donnell running the show. Similarly, CBS Reports, a documentary series started in 1959 is back and digging deep into hot button national topics.

The platform is available for Roku, Amazon Fire devices, Android and Apple devices, Apple TV, Samsung, Vizio and LG smart TVs, Xbox and Playstation.

Peacock and Hulu Battle Over NBC Premieres

Hulu was developed with the concept of being able to watch popular network television programming just a day after the original air date, but now NBC is looking to bring its shows back into the fold and give titles like Saturday Night Live and The Voice a streaming premiere on Peacock instead of Hulu. 

There’s still no firm date of when this shift will take place or if this means that NBC shows will be removed from Hulu entirely, so there’s no cause for alarm yet. As the details of the revised deal fall into place, we will be sure to share more information.

A New Conglomerate Appears

In the past few years you may have noticed media conglomerates making headlines by gobbling up any smaller media companies they could get their hands on in an effort to stay ahead of the curve on consumer desires. Back in May, AT&T—which also owns HBO Max—announced that it planned to take its WarnerMedia arm and merge it with Discovery. AT&T officially purchased WarnerMedia in 2018 after initial pushback from the Department of Justice. The new company would be called Warner Bros. Discovery and the deal got one step closer last month after clearing a governmental antitrust review. 

While time will tell if this deal makes it to the finish line, if completed, Warner Bros. Discovery would become one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. That could be a win for streamers who could get access to the combined libraries of the companies and the diverse network offerings. 

A Final Word

Do you have a group interested in learning directly from our cord-cutting experts? We offer private classes on making the most out of your entertainment technology, from setting up home WiFi networks, to picking the best streaming services and devices. Our team will guide you and your group through our process, all while offering plenty of opportunities to ask questions, book consultations and, most importantly, save money. Visit MarshmallowStreaming.com today to get started.

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