Why Streaming Services Are Getting So EXPENSIVE!

These days, the streaming wars are less about creating new services and more about making sure existing ones can survive.

[unholynexus]

One thing I have never understood is the more successful something becomes the more they charge. There is always an explanation or an excuse but it will never not stink of greed to me.

[Cucumber_Jones]

I've been cutting off subscriptions left and right in the past couple of months.

HBO cut content and raised their prices by a dollar, with no notice? Gone! I'm not paying for your merger.

Netflix reached double their initial monthly price last year? Gone!

Apple+ has one or two shows that interested me, I watched them. Gone!

Paramount had a lot of IP I thought I'd love, but I rarely got drawn in by anything. Gone!

The streamers have completely abandoned their initial value proposition to me, and so I abandon them as a customer. If we all did this, they would be forced to fall in line. ✌🏻

[imagine]

More competition is supposed to mean lower prices but the streaming services are doing the opposite which is why Netflix saw their subscriber numbers go down.

The services are spending more tens and hundreds of millions of dollars on each new series/tv show when in reality consumers just want a quality shows/movies that could have a reasonable budget.

In a few years, I wouldn’t be surprise if we see a cut in rates and the sheer amount of content once these services find more people dropping them.

[gerharddamm]

The cycle of disruptive good service at a good price > acquisition of audience > saturation > greedy anti consumer practices > consolidation > slow stagnation and downfall > new disruptive service at a good price

[RTR_]

The title should be “Why more people are learning how to pirate”

[techscience]

Here is the tip, watch most of the things that you like on one streaming service, then in next month switch to another subscription and watch something else. You don't have to watch 5 tv shows at once

[michaelwyckoff]

Because so many people are cutting off cable services.

[minimalist]

Prices are going up primarily because media companies spend astronomical amounts of cash on a average to above average TV and films. And passing on the burden to the consumer is unacceptable! Instead, bring production budgets down, and keep prices low and consistent. That way, u actually get more subscribers on board. A simple business strategy that companies still haven't figured out, or acknowledge.

[rogeriogomesosorio]

For me, as costumer, the solution is simple: I just subscribe for the needed time to see a show and then cancel the service. Specially now; before there where good shows and movies coming out very often… now, well now, there are a bunch of streaming services that haven’t released a good show or movie for a long time… I don’t remember when was the last time I watched something good from Netflix, amazon prime or even HBO. So what’s the reason to pay for the service? when the service was cheap, it didn’t matter; but now, it does. So I’ve canceled all my services and just subscribe when I want to see a show. Also, the rising prices will reborn an old problem: piracy. When streaming services where cheap, there was no need to use torrents and so on… but now, I believe that piracy will rise again.

[moriyagxp]

The internet is the only thing I pay for access to many free content, don't be lazy, just do some extra work. Save urself money

[CapnCody]

Only streaming services I pay for are the ones that don’t have ads. Paying to save me from having to waste time watching the same stupid ad 10 times during a single episode is worth it to me.








Now that I think of it, I think that was their plan all along 🤔

[jaywhite]

I’ve got Netflix and Spotify for my streaming services, but I also still use CDs and DVDs

[MrHammer]

So much for allacart!!

They suck us in with talking points of how cheaper it is than what you have now- and just when you get comfortable and attached- BAM💥 they move in to take more of your money with a new talking point..😥

Same goes for Uber, etc

[craigweb]

Why are pay streaming services getting expensive? Greed. You can counter this by using the terrific free streaming services like The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, etc., and using premium services sparingly and concentrating on the ones that give you the best value and when they go on sale. I mostly use free services myself, but allow myself the splurge of Peacock Premium for $50/year, which is about $4/month. And I scooped up a subscription to Hulu for $2/month during their Black Friday sale. You just have to make smart choices.

[CarloNassar]

Yo, Cable TV, it's time for a resurgence/comeback!

[quackcement]

I got No streaming services im put off by exclusives or certain sequels being on other streaming platforms, I think they should ALL come together, monthly fees should be divided by hours watched ie if i watch 30% Disney 20%discovery and 50% Netflix then that should be the basis in which my subscription is divided.

[OledBurnInKing]

I'm glad there is still physical media since I own what I buy plus I get way better quality than streaming and I can play the media anytime i want offline and I'm not required to pay a monthly service and I don't need to worry about the media content I use that will be removed compared to streaming services. Streaming services are convient but once you stopped paying for streaming services, all the money you spend you get nothing out of it. When I buy something such as material things like a nice TV, nice speakers and etc. and I wanna be able to enjoy it what I purchase and feel like what I'm getting my moneys worth. People nowadays seem to take things for granted and it seems like ownership of your own stuff seems to be less important. It seems like conveince is more important than ownership of you pay for and what you buy. For example, what if companies want to charge you a monthly subscription service for every single thing that can be bought with money, whats next a monthly subscription to fee in order to fill up your gas or recharge your electric car, a monthly subscription fee for each utility like water, gas or electricity when renting or living in a home, monthly subscription to grocery shopping online and in stores etc. I really hope these examples I mentioned never ever happen.

[Tsaki]

I just cancelled my Hulu+. I also stopped after a free year of Paramount+. Still have Netflix through T-Mobile (T-Mobile covers part of the fee) and Amazon Prime. I am contemplating stopping Amazon Prime since they raised their price to $139/year. For Amazon- that is all just pure profit, they charge the vendors for the shipping cost. For 2023 I am going to make a more conscious effort to buy locally and keep the dollars in the neighborhood.

[bronxtaskforce]

I started to cut back cause in reality when does a consumer gets to watch every service they pay for?

[ryanlee]

Right now my family has Netflix, Prime, and used to have HBO MAX and Disney+.

We dropped HBO Max due to them removing shows that we're only available through their platform such as Infinity Train which is now lost media. I got through all of season 1, but could only get through season 2 thanks to my local library being able to import a DVD copy of the rest of season 2. Bringing me to season 3 which I can no longer watch cause there isn't any other place to watch it, besides maybe prime if I pay to rent/buy it.

We cut Disney cause nothing new was really being added that we cared to watch, though we re-watched the classic Disney and Pixar movies we loved.

We're on the fence with Netflix... They just killed Inside Job which was one of my favorite shows to be added on the service, as well as a few others I was watching as well. It hurts to see good content being used apparently for tax write offs as of late... It's just down right dirty. I hope most of these shows that are deemed lost media now can find some solitude on either other streams services or on cable/satellite channels, sort of like how Tuca & Bertie did when Netflix canned them and adult swim saved them... Until they also canned the show.

My final take is that Amazon Prime might be the last safe haven for animated shows, as they can host the shows that no longer air or streamed, such as Over The Garden Wall, which is the only good place I can find to stream it legally and in Full HD.