Streaming Services: Every Price Hike in 2025 & 2026 (Netflix, Spotify & More)
- The new year continues to bring price increases for streaming services, impacting consumers already navigating a crowded and increasingly expensive entertainment landscape.
- Anime streaming service Crunchyroll implemented a price hike on February 2, 2026, increasing the cost of its entry-level “Fan” subscription for the first time since 2019.
- Amazon Music Unlimited also saw price increases in February 2026.
The new year continues to bring price increases for streaming services, impacting consumers already navigating a crowded and increasingly expensive entertainment landscape. From anime to music and live TV, several major platforms have adjusted their subscription costs in recent weeks, with more changes likely on the horizon. This trend, often dubbed “streamflation,” is forcing viewers to re-evaluate their streaming habits and consider options like rotating subscriptions or seeking out discounts.
Crunchyroll Raises Prices for Anime Fans
Anime streaming service Crunchyroll implemented a price hike on , increasing the cost of its entry-level “Fan” subscription for the first time since . Notably, Crunchyroll discontinued its free, ad-supported tier approximately a month prior to the price adjustments. The new pricing structure, effective for new customers immediately and existing subscribers starting on , sets the cost for ad-free plans at $10 per month for Fan, $14 for Mega Fan, and $18 for Ultimate Fan – a uniform $2 increase across all tiers.
Amazon Music Increases Subscription Fees
Amazon Music Unlimited also saw price increases in . Individual plans now cost $13 per month, or $12 per month for Amazon Prime members – a $1 increase for both. Family plans increased by $2 to $22 per month. These changes took effect for new customers on , while existing subscribers will see the higher prices reflected on or after . Amazon Music Unlimited had previously adjusted prices in as well, indicating a pattern of regular cost adjustments.
Paramount Plus and Spotify Join the Hike
Paramount Plus increased its prices in mid-, though details were initially released in . The ad-supported Essential plan now costs $9 per month or $90 per year, up from $8 per month or $60 per year. The ad-free Premium plan rose from $13 per month to $14, and from $120 per year to $140. Spotify also added to the growing list of price increases on , bumping up the cost of its Premium Individual plan by $1 to $13 per month. Premium Duo is now $19, Premium Family $22, and Premium Student $7. These changes were implemented immediately for new subscribers and will affect existing users starting in .
Sling TV Adjusts Blue Package Pricing
Live TV streaming service Sling TV also adjusted its pricing for its Blue packages in select markets. The cost increased by $9 for areas with access to at least one local ABC, Fox, or NBC station (up from $5), and by $4 for areas with one or two local stations (up from no charge). New customers saw the changes in , while existing customers will be affected on their billing date on or after .
Earlier Increases in 2025
The price increases aren’t limited to . Several services raised prices in as well. HBO Max increased prices on , with the ad-supported Basic tier rising to $11 per month, the ad-free Standard tier to $18.50 per month, and the ad-free Premium tier to $23 per month. These changes affected new customers immediately and existing customers on their first billing cycle after .
Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Select also saw price hikes on the same day, , impacting standalone plans and bundled options. Notably, ad-free Hulu and the ad-free Disney Plus and Hulu bundle remained unchanged. DirecTV also informed customers of price increases effective on or after , communicating details directly to subscribers. Philo increased the price of its Core plan by $5 to $33 on , adding access to ad-supported HBO Max and Discovery Plus. Apple TV (formerly Apple TV Plus) increased its monthly cost by $3 to $13 on . Peacock increased its ad-supported and ad-free tiers by $3 in , bringing Premium to $11 and Premium Plus to $17 per month. Finally, Netflix updated the pricing of its ad-based plan in , increasing it to $8 per month, and raised the cost of its ad-free Standard and Premium plans by $2.50 and $2 respectively.
A Rare Price Decrease: Fubo
Amidst the widespread increases, Fubo offered a rare instance of price reductions in , lowering the cost of its Pro and Elite monthly subscriptions by $11 to $74 and $84, respectively, due to a carriage dispute with NBCUniversal. Existing customers benefited from these reductions on or after .
The cumulative effect of these price hikes is significant, with consumers facing substantially higher costs for accessing their favorite streaming content. As the streaming landscape continues to evolve, viewers are increasingly forced to make difficult choices about which services to subscribe to, and whether the value proposition still justifies the expense.