Last year, we set out to chronicle the number of price hikes we’d see across streaming platforms. It had started to feel like every day, a streaming platform would raise its prices and increase its costs to subscribers. And that turned out to be… basically true. In 2025, we saw a total of SIX streaming price hikes — averaging out to about one cost increase every other month. While in a vacuum, streaming price increases can feel immaterial, taken altogether, the constant cost hikes are INTENSE. So this year, we’re doing it again. Join us as we take a look at every streaming price hike and cost increase in 2026. Will we be over or under the 2025 total? We hope for under, but we don’t feel that hopeful about it.
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All the Streaming Price Hikes in 2026
8/18/26 – Peacock Raises Prices for All Tiers
There was a quiet stretch of no streaming price hikes from April to August, but Peacock has broken that peace by instituting price increases across ALL its tiers. This is Peacock’s fourth increase in streaming prices in four years.
Here is the damage of this streaming price hike:
- A Peacock Select monthly subscription is now $8.99/month (up from $7.99). This is an increase of $1 per month.
- A Peacock Premium monthly subscription is now $12.99/month (up from $10.99). This is an increase of $2 per month.
- A Peacock Premium Plus monthly subscription is now $19.99/month (up from $16.99). This is an increase of $3 per month.
- A Peacock Select annual subscription is now $89.99/year (up from $79.99). This is an increase of $20 per year.
- A Peacock Premium annual subscription is now $129.99/year (up from $109.99). This is an increase of $20 per year.
- A Peacock Premium Plus annual subscription is now $199.99/year (up from $169.99). This is an increase of $30 per year.
Why is Peacock increasing its prices? Here’s what Peacock has to say about these price hikes: “These price changes allow Peacock to continue to create the best experience for its viewers, remain competitive in the marketplace, and deliver unique content across all genres. Current annual subscribers, or any users on active promotional offers, will continue at their current prices until those plans or offers expire. Subscriptions will then renew at the new price.”
In sum, the usual—the streamer needs a price hike to deliver unmeasurable content and use experience upgrades, while the consumer pays more in measurable cash.
4/10/26 – YouTube Premium Raises Its Costs
In April, it was time for the THIRD price increase of the year. Joining the streamers increasing their subscription cost is YouTube Premium and all its offerings: YouTube Premium, YouTube Premium Lite, and YouTube Music. Here’s the damage:
- YouTube Premium sees a $2 per month price increase, from $13.99 to $15.99.
- YouTube Music sees a $1 per month price increase, from $10.99 to $11.99
- YouTube Premium Lite sees a $1 per month price increase, from $7.99 to $8.99
- The YouTube family plan is increasing by $4 per month, from $22.99 to $26.99. This tier allows up to six people in the same arbitrary household to access the account.
This is YouTube Premium’s first increase since 2023. YouTube cites new improvements to Premium as the reason for the cost increases… But ain’t that always the way.
3/26/26 – Netflix Increases Costs Across All Subscription Tiers
Nearly three full months into the year, we had our second streaming price increase. Netflix raised its costs across all streaming subscription tiers. Here’s the breakdown:
- Netflix’s Standard with Ads Plan went from $6.99 to $8.99/month.
- Netflix’s Standard (No Ads) Plan went from $17.99 to $19.99/month.
- Netflix’s Premium Plan went from $24.99. to $26.99/month. It inches VERY close to $30/month.
This time, we didn’t see any added perks associated with the 2026 price increase. AND this increase in Netflix cost comes just about ONE year after the last time the streaming platform raised its prices. You can read all about it here.
3/13/26 – Prime Video Increases Price of Ad-Free Tier
We saw our first streaming price hike of 2026 in March. Prime Video raised the price of its ad-free tier for the first time. Nominally, we understand this increase to be aimed at driving subscribers toward subscription tiers with ads. But we have to ask. Once subscribers all move to ad-supported plans, will the subscription cost increases STOP? If not, then we again have to ask, where does it end?
Originally, the Prime Video ad-free tier cost an additional $2.99/month on top of the Prime subscription. Now, the Prime Video ad-free tier is seeing a price hike of $2/month, bringing the cost to $4.99/month. You can read all about it here.
How Many Streaming Price Increases Will We See in 2026?
So how will streaming price hikes stack up in 2026? It’s too soon to tell, but we’ve seen four price hikes already, so… right now, it’s looking like another year full of streaming cost increases. Will consumers finally have enough? Will moving to ad-supported tiers stop the price hikes from coming? Will we simply see a model where consumers subscribe and then unsubscribe? Only time will tell.
But what we can tell is that if you’re subscribed to most streamers, you’re paying AT LEAST around $10 more per month right now than you were in 2025.
Originally published in April 8, 2026.
The post Every Streaming Cost Increase In 2026: Peacock Raises Price Across All Tiers appeared first on Nerdist.
Source: Kiat Media
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