It’s no secret: Streaming services are expensive. In 2024, the TV streaming industry generated hundreds of billions of dollars, and some of that is coming out of your pockets. For the companies offering content, your subscription fees are just a teeny, tiny drop in the bucket. For you, these monthly expenses can accumulate to a sizable financial burden.
If you haven’t noticed, keep an eye on these subscriptions next time you look at your monthly budget. Not only do streaming services quickly add up, but it’s not uncommon for monthly fees to get bumped up. Almost every major service saw an increase over the course of 12 months.
- In January 2025, Netflix rose its monthly fees by $2.50 for its ad-free tiers and $1 for its ad-supported tier.
- In July 2025, Peacock’s monthly subscription fees jumped by $3.
- In August 2025, Apple TV+ rose monthly fees by $3.
- In October 2025, Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select boosted their monthly fees. Prices rose from $1-$3 depending on the service, bundle, and whether ads are included.
- In early 2026, Paramount+ will increase its monthly streaming prices by $1 (this applies to both its ad-supported and ad-free tiers).
All of this is before considering other monthly services, like Amazon Prime, music streaming, internet costs, and cell phone plans. All of these expenses result in people paying hundreds each month — and thousands each year — for digital services that they never truly own.
The era of streaming hoppers
None of this is to say streaming services are inherent wastes of money; they’re only wastes if you don’t use them. And when you have six or seven of them, your attention will be divided. This means you’re spending more money but giving each service less time.
This loss of value is not lost on customers, especially the ones who are budget-conscious. Some viewers have resorted to “hopping” between services each month. This means they’ll sign up for a month on Netflix, then immediately cancel it. This gives them 30 days of unlimited access to Netflix’s library, and they can binge all the shows and movies they want.
The next month, they’ll hop over to Hulu, pay for one month, and cancel right immediately. This will be followed by a month of HBO Max, then Peacock, then Paramount+.
Using this method will only cost about $20/month, but by the end of the year, viewers will have seen all of the biggest streaming shows. It just requires a little extra patience and planning, but most casual viewers will find it’s worth the savings.
Plus, there are many options to legally watch free, ad-supported content with platforms like Tubi, Freevee, Pluto, and The Roku Channel — and you never need to cancel these services (or even input a credit card).
The problem with stream hopping
All of the major streaming services are already dealing with customers who cancel and return. They call it “streaming churn,” and the concern has been growing. In the second quarter of 2025, the number of US households using video-on-demand services declined by 1%. While this seems like a small drop, it’s a turning point for an industry that seemed to have unstoppable growth a few years ago.
Households are also canceling services. In the same quarter, the average home subscribed to 4.1 streaming services, a small dip from 4.2 services in the prior quarter. Perhaps this is because an increasing number of people are canceling services. Within a six-month period, 39% of households quit at least one streaming service, and young Americans are more likely to quit. Half of Millennials and Gen Z canceled a service during those six months.
So streaming companies are going to respond as an effort to keep people subscribed. In fact, they already have.
Just look at Netflix. It’s split up seasons of its popular shows (like Stranger Things season 4), so users need to be subscribed for multiple months to see all new episodes within a week of their debut. You could also argue that the introduction of an ad-supported tier was a way to retain customers and offer “lower” prices so viewers stick around.
But the biggest, most consistent thing you will notice is the revolving door of content. Services are offering fewer shows and movies than they did in the past, but it always seems like something new is coming. That’s because they acquire shows and movies, but they have short licenses. If you wait more than a month or two to watch that content, it’s likely to be gone.
Should you become a streaming hopper?
Yes, absolutely, save money if you feel you’re overspending. Streaming services should be entertaining, and if they’re becoming a burden, then you should cancel your membership. There is absolutely no penalty for canceling and rejoining.
As streaming becomes more fragmented, it’s only natural that people click cancel more often. But as subscribers churn, we should expect the services to respond. Sadly, this has made it more difficult to have fun streaming. So if you don’t enjoy a service, you don’t really need it.
Once you leave a service, you’ll realize that nothing is truly lost. That’s one of the inherent truths of streaming: You own nothing. So hop around, avoid auto-renewals like the plague, and try to save as much money as possible. If you really want to rejoin Hulu or Paramount+, they’ll welcome you back with open arms. It doesn’t matter if you’re returning for two years or one month; you can pay the monthly fee, and you can leave again if you feel it’s not worth the value.