Streaming service pricing and advertising trends

The streaming media industry is experiencing significant shifts in pricing, content access, and advertising density. In France, Canal+ has adjusted its subscription tiers by removing Apple TV from certain lower-cost options for Freebox Ultra subscribers.

In the United States, subscription costs for major streaming platforms are rising at approximately three times the rate of inflation, outpacing the annual price increases seen in traditional cable television. For example, Netflix Premium has risen 125 percent since 2013, and Apple TV has tripled its monthly cost since 2019. To manage these rising costs, some younger viewers are practicing ‘streaming cycling,’ a method of subscribing to one service at a time to watch specific content before canceling.

Simultaneously, platforms are increasing advertisement frequency within their ad-supported tiers, a trend often referred to as ‘streamflation’. An Ampere Analysis study noted that ad frequency on major platforms rose by an average of 18 percent between January and August 2026. Paramount+ currently leads in advertising volume with over nine minutes of commercials per hour, representing approximately 15 percent of viewing time, followed by Disney+ with nearly eight minutes per hour. While Netflix maintains a lower overall ad load at roughly 2.44 minutes per hour, it reported a 74 percent increase in ad time over the same eight-month period. Conversely, Amazon Prime Video was the only major platform to see a reduction in advertising density. This shift is driven by consumer behavior, as data indicates roughly 60 percent of new users opt for cheaper, ad-supported plans over more expensive ad-free subscriptions.