Netflix, Disney+, Max Price Increases 2026: All 8 Services
All 8 major streaming services cost $133/month combined. Every 2026 price hike tracked with tips to cut your bill.
All 8 major streaming services cost $133/month combined for ad-free plans, rivaling old cable bills. Every 2026 price change tracked here.
All eight major US streaming services have raised prices at least once since 2024, and the combined cost of ad-free subscriptions now totals $133 per month (Variety Streaming Price Tracker, 2026). That's $1,596 per year, more than many Americans paid for cable at its peak. This page tracks every confirmed 2026 price change as they happen.
Current 2026 pricing: every major service
| Service | Ad-Supported | Ad-Free | Premium/4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | $7.99 | $17.99 | $24.99 |
| Disney+ | $9.99 | $17.99 | — |
| Max | $9.99 | $16.99 | $20.99 |
| Hulu | $9.99 | $18.99 | — |
| Amazon Prime Video | $14.99* | $14.99* | — |
| Apple TV+ | — | $12.99 | — |
| Paramount+ | $7.99 | $12.99 | — |
| Peacock | $7.99 | $13.99 | — |
*Amazon Prime Video is bundled with Prime membership. All tiers include ads by default since January 2024; ad-free costs an additional $2.99/month.
Combined ad-supported total: ~$83/month ($996/year). Combined ad-free total: ~$133/month ($1,596/year) (Variety).
The price increase timeline: 2024–2026
The pace of increases has accelerated. Netflix raised US prices seven times since 2014, with the Premium tier climbing from $11.99 to $24.99 — a 108% cumulative increase (Netflix IR). Disney+ has seen the fastest percentage growth: from $6.99 at November 2019 launch to $17.99 ad-free in 2026, a 157% increase in just seven years.
Hulu's ad-free tier jumped 58% from $11.99 to $18.99. Apple TV+ went from the industry's cheapest at $4.99 to $12.99 — a 160% increase, though it remains competitive given its all-original, ad-free library. Peacock's Premium Plus tier rose from $9.99 at launch to $13.99.
Amazon took a different approach: rather than raising the headline Prime price (already $14.99/month), it introduced ads to Prime Video in January 2024 and charged $2.99/month extra to remove them. That's effectively a price increase for the ad-free experience that most subscribers previously had.
Why prices keep rising
Three forces drive the increases:
- Content costs: Global content spending reached $255 billion in 2026 (Ampere Analysis). Netflix alone plans ~$20 billion. These costs must be recouped through subscription revenue, advertising, or both.
- Profitability pressure: Wall Street pivoted from rewarding subscriber growth to demanding profits. Disney's streaming segment went from $4 billion in annual losses to $1.33 billion in operating income — achieved primarily through price increases and ad-tier revenue.
- Mature markets: US streaming penetration exceeds 85% of broadband households (Pew Research). With fewer new subscribers to add, revenue growth must come from higher ARPU (average revenue per user).
How to protect yourself
Ad-supported tiers are the industry's pressure valve. Netflix with ads ($7.99) delivers the same content library as Standard ($17.99), saving $120/year for 4-5 minutes of ads per hour. The Disney+/Hulu/Max bundle with ads costs $16.99/month versus $57.97 for all three ad-free tiers separately — a 71% discount.
Annual plans, when offered, typically save 15-20% over monthly billing. Black Friday and holiday promotions can cut prices by 50-80% — Peacock and Paramount+ have historically offered the deepest discounts. And the rotation strategy in our rotation calendar can cut annual costs from $996 to under $360.