Streaming prices vs inflation, service by service
2021-03 to 2026-08 · main plans · CPI-U from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
US consumer prices rose 26.5% between March 2021 and August 2026 (Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U). Of the 9 streaming services with a price in March 2021, 8 raised their main plan by more than that. Apple TV+ rose the most in real terms, +138% after inflation; HBO Max the least at -2%.
Price rise against the general price level
| service | 2021-03 | today | rise | after inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Apple TV+ | $4.99 | $14.99 | +200% | +138% |
 Disney+ | $7.99 | $18.99 | +138% | +88% |
 Peacock | $9.99 | $19.99 | +100% | +58% |
 Hulu | $11.99 | $18.99 | +58% | +25% |
 Netflix | $13.99 | $19.99 | +43% | +13% |
 Paramount+ | $9.99 | $13.99 | +40% | +11% |
 YouTube Premium | $11.99 | $15.99 | +33% | +5% |
 Spotify | $9.99 | $12.99 | +30% | +3% |
 HBO Max | $14.99 | $18.49 | +23% | -2% |
"After inflation" is the rise remaining once the 26.5% general increase is removed. Source for inflation: BLS via FRED, retrieved 2026-09-21.
Questions
Have streaming prices risen faster than inflation?
Mostly yes. 8 of 9 services beat the 26.5% rise in the general price level since 2021-03; Apple TV+ by the widest margin.
Which streaming service rose the least after inflation?
HBO Max: -2% in real terms, a nominal rise of 23%.
What inflation figure is used?
CPI-U, all items, US city average, not seasonally adjusted, 264.877 in 2021-03 and 334.98 in 2026-08, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED.
"8 of 9 streaming services raised prices faster than inflation between 2021-03 and 2026-08." HonestlyRanked, October 2026. Free to reuse with a link.
By Rashid N. Rashid N edits Honestly Ranked and checks the figures before they go up. Rashid N is a pen name.
Figures come from our tracking database and are re-checked daily
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