Cord cutters could see the price of their favorite services skyrocket over the next decade, according to a study by Digital PR agency Reboot Online. The study used a data-driven analysis to predict the increase of seven popular streaming services by 2035.
Key Findings from the Study
Over the next 10 years, Netflix is projected to have the highest price increase, according to the study. Netflix’s Standard with Ads tier, which has commercials and limited content, has over 70 million subscribers worldwide and is projected to jump by 43%, reaching $9.99 per month. Meanwhile, their premium plan is set to rise a staggering 48%, climbing to $33.99 by 2035.
Amazon Prime Video, the second most popular streaming service in the USA, could see a jump that isn’t too far behind. The study found that Prime could increase by 47% from its current rate of $14.99 to $21.99 per month. However, the study found that Peacock could see the largest percentage increase. Its Premium Plus plan is expected to surge to $23.99, a 71% increase, making it another contender in the race to stretch our wallets.
Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV+, and ESPN+ were the other four services examined in the study, and you can see each predicted increase from the study in the chart below.
| Estimated cost | % increase over 10 years | ||||
| Streaming Service | Package | 2025 | 2030 | 2035 | |
| Netflix | Standard with Ads | $6.99 | $7.99 | $9.99 | 43% |
| Standard | $15.49 | $18.49 | $22.99 | 48% | |
| Premium | $22.99 | $26.99 | $33.99 | 48% | |
| Prime | Standard | $14.99 | $17.99 | $21.99 | 47% |
| Disney+ | Standard with Ads | $9.99 | $12.99 | $15.99 | 60% |
| Premium | $15.99 | $19.99 | $25.99 | 63% | |
| Hulu | Basic with Ads | $9.99 | $12.99 | $15.99 | 60% |
| Premium | $18.99 | $22.99 | $29.99 | 58% | |
| Apple TV+ | Standard | $9.99 | $12.99 | $15.99 | 60% |
| ESPN+ | Standard | $11.99 | $13.99 | $17.99 | 50% |
| Peacock | Ads | $7.99 | $9.99 | $12.99 | 63% |
| Premium Plus | $13.99 | $17.99 | $23.99 | 71% | |
As the cost of binge-watching habits continues to increase, more cord cutters are embracing ad-supported streaming, which coincides with the rise of FAST channels. With this increase in viewers watching free ad-supported streaming television, and the constant subscription hikes without perceived added value, subscribers reduced spending by an average of $13 per month, according to a study conducted by Reviews.org.
Over the years, these platforms have mostly increased since their launch, in what has been coined streamflation. However, Prime Video’s standard subscription price has not changed since its launch as a standalone service in 2016. The Reboot Online study only examined the projected price increase of Prime as a whole and not Prime Video as a standalone.
The cost of entertainment is continuously rising, but luckily, cord cutters have many ways to maximize their savings. Since these services offer ultimate flexibility and no contracts compared to cable, you can rotate your subscriptions to manage your budget. Even though these prices are still cheaper than cable, the rising costs of endless entertainment might soon make us think twice about hitting “next episode.”
Reboot Online Study Methodology
1. Reboot Online collected historical subscription pricing for the most used film and TV subscription services in the USA, according to Digital Trends, using sources such as 9 Meters. Chat GPT was then utilised to examine the yearly changes in subscription prices to determine the pattern of price adjustment over the years.
2. To emulate the typical pricing adjustments over time, a small, consistent step increase was applied annually. These steps were used to reflect periodic price hikes seen in the market. The increases were set as a fixed amount added annually. These increases represent a conservative estimate of price growth due to inflation and market dynamics. Each year, the price for each subscription tier was increased by these fixed amounts to project future costs.
3. To account for inflation adjustments, Reboot Online used a gradual inflation approach rather than a strict annual rate to simulate real-world pricing trends. This method prevents large jumps in pricing that might be unrealistic in a subscription service context.
4. Step increases were added to reflect historical patterns. The step increases were informed by historical pricing patterns observed in each of the streaming services and their competitors. Each tier had its own step increase to maintain consistency in pricing adjustments.
5. To forecast the yearly progression and create the final calculation, the step increases for each year until 2035 were applied. By 2035, the subscription prices were projected to reflect cumulative inflation and market adjustments, using the annual step increases to estimate each subscription service’s cost over the next 10 years. Figures were rounded to the nearest .99 as this is typically the pricing structure of these subscription services.