‘Streamflation’ is Costing You. Here’s How to Save Without Missing Your Favorite Shows

June 14, 2026
Olivia
Finance
0

Whether you spend your time in front of the TV watching sports, the news, the latest buzzy shows or reruns of your favorite sitcoms, you’ve probably noticed that you’re shelling out more for your entertainment in recent years. Between March 2024 and March 2026, prices for subscription and rental of video and video games, which includes subscription streaming services, surged roughly 25%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Costs are rising so much that the phenomenon even has a new nickname: “streamflation.” Netflix, the largest and most popular streaming service, hiked prices for all three of its subscription tiers in March for the second time in less than two years. In April, prices for Amazon Prime Video’s ad-free tier increased by $2 per month. Many of the other major players, including Paramount+ and HBO Max, have also raised their prices within the past year.

A few more dollars here or there each month may not seem significant enough to take a large bite out of your budget, but it adds up. The average U.S. household spends $69 monthly on video-on-demand service subscriptions, according to data from Deloitte. That’s $828 annually. Deloitte also found that almost three-fourths of consumers are frustrated that companies keep raising their prices.

From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance

Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just ~~$107.88~~ $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues

CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more – straight to your e-mail.

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice – straight to your e-mail.

Unfortunately for viewers, the costs are likely to keep climbing. “We’ll continue to see pricing going up for all streaming services, live and on demand,” says Dan Rayburn, an analyst in the streaming video industry. “Some don’t do it yearly, but most do it like clockwork.”

The reason, he says, is that the cost to produce and license content continues to rise every year. Deep-pocketed companies such as Amazon and Disney are competing to snag hit shows, and the cost of that competition is trickling down to customers. In particular, the cost of licensing sports programming — an offering streaming services are increasingly looking to add — is “astronomical,” Rayburn says.

Last year, L.E.K. Consulting, a global strategy consulting firm, found that streaming platforms were expected to spend roughly $33 billion on obtaining rights to show national sports. In March, for instance, CNBC reported that the National Football League was asking Paramount+’s parent company for 50% more than the $2.1 billion it was already paying to show games.

These companies also pay attention to what their competitors are doing with their prices. “One increases the price, and that opens the door for everyone to increase the price,” says Christopher Hamilton, industry insights manager at Parrot Analytics. “The whole industry is shifting up.”

Although prices keep going up, you can make moves to fine-tune the selection of services you use and offset the hit to your wallet.

1. Consider your preferences.

Determine what you actually want to watch and whether you’re getting it. Think about whether you prefer to see your favorite content the moment it comes out, too. Some families want to see sporting events live, which means they may want to opt for a sports-oriented streamer such as Peacock or a live-TV service such as YouTube TV or Fubo.

Other households may prioritize brand-new shows, which could make services that focus on original content, such as Apple TV, a good fit. If you’re looking for children’s programming, Disney+ or Netflix may be the way to go.

There are also specialized streamers that home in on specific corners of the market. For example, Crunchyroll’s collection is made up of anime, and Shudder is for horror fans. BritBox exclusively offers British content, and Curiosity Stream focuses on documentaries.

2. Assess your budget.

Next, take a look at your budget, and add up the cost of streaming services you’re paying for now. The amount of money you should allocate to entertainment will depend on your personal goals and financial situation, including your income and whether you have any debt.

If you need help, consider a popular budgeting strategy such as the 50/30/20 rule, which entails allocating 50% of your income to needs, 30% to wants (including entertainment) and 20% to savings. If streaming makes up a disproportionate amount of your budget, you can use some of the strategies here to trim your spending.