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Streaming price increases in 2026 hit almost every major service: Netflix, Peacock, Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, Paramount+, ESPN, YouTube Premium, and Amazon’s ad-free Prime Video tier all cost more than they did a year ago. The good news is that ad-supported plans, annual billing, bundles, and holiday promotions can still cut your monthly bill by a third or more. This guide lists every confirmed 2026 increase with old and new prices, then shows how to pay less before the new rates reach your card.
Quick verdict: If you pay for three or four ad-free plans, you likely pay $7 to $10 more per month than you did in early 2025. The fastest savings come from switching to ad tiers, paying annually for the services you keep all year, and rotating the rest. A cheap streaming stick and a free antenna cover local channels and free apps. Check streaming stick prices on Amazon.
Key takeaways
- What changed: Netflix, Peacock, Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, Paramount+, ESPN, YouTube Premium, and Prime Video’s ad-free add-on all raised US prices in 2026.
- Biggest jumps: Peacock Premium Plus rose $3 to $19.99 a month, Disney+ Premium rose $2.50 to $21.49, and Apple TV rose $2 to $14.99.
- Who held steady: HBO Max made no US price change in 2026 so far; its last increase came in October 2025.
- How to pay less: Ad tiers, annual plans, the $12.99 Disney+ and Hulu bundle, and Black Friday promotions offer the largest savings. Prices change often.
Every streaming price increase in 2026
Here’s what each service charges now in the US compared with what it charged before its 2026 increase. New subscribers usually pay the new rate right away, while existing subscribers switch at a later billing date.
| Service and plan | Old price | New price | When it changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix Standard with ads | $7.99/month | $8.99/month | Late March 2026 |
| Netflix Standard | $17.99/month | $19.99/month | Late March 2026 |
| Netflix Premium | $24.99/month | $26.99/month | Late March 2026 |
| Paramount+ Essential | $7.99/month | $8.99/month | Mid-January 2026 |
| Paramount+ Premium | $12.99/month | $13.99/month | Mid-January 2026 |
| Prime Video ad-free add-on (now Prime Video Ultra) | $2.99/month | $4.99/month | April 2026 |
| YouTube Premium (individual) | $13.99/month | $15.99/month | April 2026 |
| Peacock Select | $7.99/month | $8.99/month | August 18, 2026 |
| Peacock Premium | $10.99/month | $12.99/month | August 18, 2026 |
| Peacock Premium Plus | $16.99/month | $19.99/month | August 18, 2026 |
| Apple TV | $12.99/month | $14.99/month | August 28, 2026 |
| ESPN Select | $12.99/month | $13.99/month | September 17, 2026 |
| ESPN Unlimited | $29.99/month | $31.99/month | September 17, 2026 |
| Disney+ with ads | $11.99/month | $12.49/month | September 23, 2026 (October 21 for current subscribers) |
| Disney+ Premium (no ads) | $18.99/month | $21.49/month | September 23, 2026 (October 21 for current subscribers) |
| Hulu with ads | $11.99/month | $12.49/month | September 23, 2026 (October 21 for current subscribers) |
| Hulu (no ads) | $18.99/month | $21.49/month | September 23, 2026 (October 21 for current subscribers) |
| Disney+ and Hulu bundle (no ads) | $19.99/month | $21.99/month | September 23, 2026 (October 21 for current subscribers) |
Prices come from CBS News (Netflix), TechRadar (Paramount+), 9to5Google (Prime Video), GV Wire (YouTube Premium), Droid Life (Peacock), MacRumors (Apple TV), TheWrap (ESPN), and Tom’s Guide (Disney+ and Hulu).
Netflix price 2026: the second increase in about a year
Netflix raised every US plan in late March 2026. The ad tier went from $7.99 to $8.99, Standard from $17.99 to $19.99, and Premium from $24.99 to $26.99. Extra member slots also rose by $1, to $7.99 with ads or $9.99 without, according to CBS News. New members paid the new prices immediately, and Netflix notified existing members over the following weeks.
Premium remains the only Netflix plan with 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) and four simultaneous streams, so households that watch on one or two TVs can usually drop to Standard without missing much.
Peacock price increase: up to $3 a month
Peacock raised all three plans on August 18, 2026. Select rose to $8.99, Premium to $12.99, and Premium Plus to $19.99 a month. Annual plans climbed to $89.99, $129.99, and $199.99. Existing monthly subscribers moved to the new rates on their first billing date on or after September 17, 2026, Droid Life reported. Annual subscribers keep their current price until renewal, so if you plan to keep Peacock for football season and beyond, the annual plan still saves the most.
Disney plus price hike 2026, plus Hulu and ESPN
Disney raised Disney+ and Hulu prices for the second fall in a row. New subscribers started paying the higher rates on September 23, 2026, and current subscribers moved over on billing dates on or after October 21. The ad-free Disney+ plan took the biggest hit, rising $2.50 to $21.49 a month.
One price didn’t move: the Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads still costs $12.99 a month. Since Disney+ with ads and Hulu with ads now cost $12.49 each on their own, that bundle effectively gives you Hulu for 50 cents. ESPN Select rose to $13.99 and ESPN Unlimited to $31.99 on September 17, and the Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select bundle with ads went from $19.99 to $21.99.
Apple TV, Paramount+, Prime Video, and YouTube Premium
- Apple TV: Apple raised its streaming service from $12.99 to $14.99 a month on August 28, 2026, and the annual plan from $99 to $119. Apple One Individual rose from $19.95 to $21.95. Existing subscribers get about a month’s notice, according to MacRumors.
- Paramount+: Essential rose to $8.99 and Premium to $13.99 a month in mid-January 2026. Annual plans now cost $89.99 and $139.99.
- Prime Video: Amazon renamed its ad-free add-on Prime Video Ultra and raised it from $2.99 to $4.99 a month in April 2026. 9to5Google reports that Ultra also adds 4K streaming, more downloads, and five simultaneous streams, which means standard Prime members lose 4K.
- YouTube Premium: The individual plan rose from $13.99 to $15.99 a month in April 2026, and the family plan to $26.99.
HBO Max is the notable holdout. Its last US increase came in October 2025, when Basic with Ads moved to $10.99, Standard to $18.49, and Premium to $22.99. For more on what each service offers, see our guide to the best streaming service for your budget.
How to save on streaming this holiday season
You don’t need to cancel everything to beat streamflation. These steps cut costs the most, roughly in order of impact.
1. Switch to an ad-supported plan
Ad tiers cost about $5 to $11 less per month than ad-free plans. Moving Netflix from Standard to Standard with ads saves $11 a month, and moving Disney+ from Premium to the ad tier saves $9.
2. Pay annually for services you keep all year
Annual plans run about two months cheaper. Apple TV costs $119 a year versus $179.88 billed monthly, Peacock Premium costs $129.99 versus $155.88, and Paramount+ Essential costs $89.99 versus $107.88.
3. Use bundles instead of separate apps
The $12.99 Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads beats paying for either service alone plus a few dollars. Disney also sells a Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle, which rose to $21.99 a month with ads. Check your phone carrier, internet provider, and memberships too. Walmart+ has included a choice of Paramount+ Essential or Peacock Premium, according to MacRumors.
4. Watch for Black Friday streaming deals
Streamers run their deepest discounts of the year around Black Friday, usually for new and returning subscribers on ad tiers. In 2025, MacRumors reported the Disney+ and Hulu bundle at $4.99 a month for 12 months and Apple TV at $5.99 a month for six months. In 2024, Hulu offered 99 cents a month for a year. As of November 7, 2026, most services hadn’t announced their 2026 offers, so cancel a service a few weeks before Black Friday if you want to qualify as a returning subscriber.
5. Rotate services instead of stacking them
Subscribe to one or two services at a time, binge what you want, then cancel and switch. Most services let you cancel anytime and keep access until the end of the billing period.
6. Add free TV
Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) apps such as Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel cost nothing, and an indoor antenna pulls in local broadcast channels over the air (OTA) for free. If you’re shopping for a new TV, our smart TV vs. Roku TV guide explains which platforms put free channels front and center.
Gear that helps you spend less
Amazon is our main affiliate partner, and it carries the streaming sticks and antennas below. A stick also gives an older TV a faster, ad-light interface for switching services. Read our Fire TV Stick 4K Max review and how to activate YouTube on Fire TV for setup help.
Shop related picks on Amazon
| Product | What it does | Best for | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max | 4K high dynamic range (HDR) streaming with Wi-Fi 6E | Prime members and Alexa households | Check price |
| Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K | 4K HDR streaming at a lower price | Budget 4K TVs | Check price |
| Roku Streaming Stick Plus | 4K HDR streaming with The Roku Channel built in | Free channels and a simple home screen | Check price |
| Google TV Streamer | 4K HDR streaming with Google TV recommendations | Android and Google Home users | Check price |
| Indoor TV antenna | Free local broadcast channels over the air | Cutting cable or live TV services | Check price |
Frequently asked questions
Which streaming services raised prices in 2026?
Netflix, Peacock, Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, Paramount+, ESPN, YouTube Premium, and Prime Video’s ad-free tier all raised US prices in 2026. HBO Max hasn’t raised US prices in 2026 so far; its last increase came in October 2025.
How much is Netflix in 2026?
Netflix costs $8.99 a month with ads, $19.99 for Standard, and $26.99 for Premium in the US in 2026. Those prices took effect for new members in late March 2026.
Can I keep my old streaming price?
You usually can’t keep an old monthly price, but an annual plan locks your rate until renewal. Peacock, for example, kept annual subscribers on their current price until their plans expire. Paying annually before an increase reaches you is the closest thing to a price freeze.
What is the cheapest way to get Disney+ and Hulu?
The Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads is the cheapest way to get both, at $12.99 a month. That’s only 50 cents more than either service alone with ads, and Black Friday promotions have cut the bundle further in past years.
Final verdict
Streaming price increases in 2026 made ad-free stacking expensive, but you still control most of the cost. Drop to ad tiers where you can, prepay for the one or two services you watch all year, grab the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, and use Black Friday promotions to try the rest. Pair that with free apps and an antenna, and you can keep your watchlist without paying 2026’s full sticker prices. Check the Roku Streaming Stick Plus price on Amazon.