What you will find in the article:
- Average price increases for major streaming services have slowed.
- Annual price rises fell from 24% to 14% over three years.
- Ad-free plans saw larger price increases than ad-supported tiers.
- Regional differences show varying average increases across markets.
- Advertising revenue is becoming crucial for streaming platforms.
New data from Ampere Analysis shows that annual price rises across the three platforms have fallen from 24% of the previous subscription price in 2023/24 to 14% in 2025/26. In absolute terms, the average increase has edged down from $1.67 to $1.54.
The trend reflects a maturing, highly competitive streaming market in which platforms are increasingly cautious about pushing prices too far. Ampere notes that the shift suggests streamers are “moving closer to the limits of consumers’ willingness to pay”, reducing the headroom for future hikes.
Ad-free plans have absorbed the largest increases, rising an average of $1.62 over the past three years, compared with $1.21 for ad-supported tiers. As a result, the price gap between the two has widened globally from $4.53 (Aug 2023–Jul 2024) to $5.35 (Aug 2025–Jul 2026).
In the US, Netflix’s gap between Standard with Ads and the ad-free Standard tier for new subscribers grew from $8.50 in August 2023 to $11 by July 2026. With advertising now a central revenue stream, platforms have strong incentives to keep ad-supported tiers competitively priced.
Ampere’s data shows notable variation across the three services:
– Netflix — Average increase of $1.73 (16%). Price rises have remained relatively stable year to year.
– Disney+ — The clearest shift toward moderation, falling from $1.86 (31%) in 2023/24 to $1.45 (13%) in 2025/26.
– Amazon Prime Video — Average increase of $1.47 (30%), with fewer adjustments overall, reflecting Prime’s broader role in Amazon’s retail ecosystem.
Western Europe has seen the steepest average increases at $1.86 (16%), followed by North America at $1.70 (15%) and Central and Eastern Europe at $1.68 (18%). Despite regional differences, most markets show the same pattern: price increases are becoming smaller over time.
Jaanika Juntson, Senior Research Manager at Ampere Analysis, says the slowdown in price hikes reflects a broader shift in how platforms monetise their audiences. “Advertising is an increasingly important revenue stream, reducing reliance on subscription pricing alone, while password‑sharing crackdowns allow streamers to generate more value from existing audiences through extra member slots.”
As streaming businesses mature, she adds, growth is becoming less dependent on raising prices — and more influenced by competition, product positioning and diversified revenue models.
Source: broadbandtvnews.com