In 2023, the U.S. was projected to reach a tipping point, with households without traditional pay TV outnumbering those still subscribing to it for the first time.
That year, eMarketer projected that 68.7 million U.S. households would not have cable, compared with 62.8 million households that would still subscribe to traditional pay TV.
A number of people have cut the cord on traditional cable or satellite TV in favor of streaming to gain lower costs, on-demand flexibility and freedom from unwanted channels. Still, price was the dominant reason.
In fact, 73% of people who canceled their cable said they did so because it was too expensive, according to statistics from Ooma.
In 2026, however, that advantage is eroding as major streamers raise prices again.
Disney+ and other major streamers increase prices
In 2026, U.S. subscribers faced another aggressive wave of price increases as Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, Fubo, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Paramount+ all raised rates.
Disney+ was the latest streamer to drop the bad news to subscribers, raising both ad-free and ad-supported plans. The price for the ad-free tier reached $21.49, according to PCMag.
Streamers that raised prices in 2026:
Disney+ & Hulu (September 2026): Disney raised standalone ad-free plans for both Disney+ and Hulu by $2.50 to $21.49/mo (+13.2%), while ad-supported plans rose 50 cents to $12.49/mo. The increase came exactly one year after Disney’s previous price hike according to PCMag.
Peacock (August 2026): NBCUniversal increased Peacock Premium (ads) by $2 to $12.99/mo (+18.2%) and Premium Plus (ad-free) by $3 to $19.99/mo (+17.7%), marking back-to-back annual price increases, according to PCMag.
Fubo (July 2026): Fubo increased most English-language TV plans by $15/mo (raising the core Pro plan from $73.99 to $88.99/mo, a +20.3% jump) following the restoration of NBC channels, on top of regional sports fees up to $16.99/mo, reported PCWorld.
Amazon Prime Video (April 2026): Amazon increased its monthly ad-free add-on fee by $2, moving it from $2.99 to $4.99/mo (about +67%), while locking 4K UHD streaming exclusively behind this paid tier, according to CNET.
Netflix (March 2026): Netflix implemented its second U.S. price hike in under two years, raising Standard with Ads to $8.99/mo (+12.5%), Standard ad-free to $19.99/mo (+11.1%), and Premium 4K to $26.99/mo (+8%), reported CNET.
Paramount+ (January 2026): Paramount raised its ad-supported Essential tier by $1 to $8.99/mo (+12.5%) and its ad-free Premium tier by $1 to $13.99/mo (+7.7%), writes CNET.
Disney+ and other major streamers increase prices. bymuratdeniz / Getty Images
Streaming prices outpace inflation
A recent report by James Hibberd for The Hollywood Reporter highlighted how streaming services are now raising their rates faster than cable companies ever did. Since 2022, streaming prices have gone up three times faster than regular inflation, Hibberd writes in the article.
Subscribing to the eight major ad-free apps now costs about $151 a month. Just four years ago,a comparable lineup cost around $90. Some individual apps have seen huge price hikes:
Apple TV has tripled in price, jumping 200% from its original $4.99 launch price.
Disney+’s ad-free plan has risen 207% from its $6.99 launch price.
Netflix Premium has gone up 125% since 2013.
Paramount+ went up 80% over five years.
For households that subscribe to multiple premium streaming services, cutting the cord no longer necessarily guarantees big savings.
Moreover, since 2019, consumer prices have risen by about 33% in total, an average increase of roughly 3.84% annually, according to Hibberd. That’s nearly twice the Federal Reserve’s 2% long-term inflation target.
Streaming prices, however, have risen considerably faster. Hibberd reports that streaming rates have collectively increased 11.8% over the past year, while annual price increases of 10% to 15% can compound quickly over time.
Subscribers react differently to the latest price hikes
Comments in a recent discussion on Reddit’s r/television forum showed a range of reactions to the rising cost of streaming platforms compared with traditional pay-TV.
Several commenters expressed frustration with subscription fatigue, citing frequent price increases, content fragmentation and the return of ads.
“To think we once celebrated them as the desired alternative to cable only a few years ago. Not to mention the ads. It all sounds like a bad joke now,” wrote user 90_degrees.
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Some users framed the price increases as a predictable shift by platforms once market dominance was established, leading a portion of viewers to seek alternative methods.
“We gave up on the streamers like 5 years ago and went back to pirating. Music figured it out and we gladly pay for that, but video has become too convoluted,” noted commenter hey-you-guyyyys.
Other commenters argued that streaming remained preferable to cable, pointing to the absence of annual contracts and the ease of cancellation.
“It’ll take far, far more for them to be an undesired alternative to cable. To start, it takes a button press to cancel your Netflix subscription,” argued midlinktwilight.
For these defenders, the core appeal of streaming was never solely about low prices, but rather the flexibility of on-demand viewing.
Related: YouTube TV just gave subscribers a reason to look elsewhere