If it feels like you’ve been paying more for all of your streaming services lately, it’s probably because you have been.
Last year, the price of streaming subscriptions rose by an average of seven per cent among the 10 leading platforms, meaning the likes of Netflix, Disney+, Crave and Prime Video, according to the latest annual Couch Potato report from Convergence Research. The analytics firm notes that prices jumped by eight per cent in 2024, and it expects hikes this year to be higher than 2025’s seven per cent increase.
Clearly, then, there’s a consistent increase that will surely not stop anytime soon. With this in mind, Couch Potato also highlighted how streaming platforms with ad-enabled tiers represent savings of an average of 42 per cent over the more premium ad-free options.
Last year, Roku reported that 85 per cent Canadians view ad-supported content. Of course, that doesn’t mean that their sole consumption method is ad-enabled options, but it does speak to a larger trend of people being willing to put up with ads if it means saving a few extra bucks. A key selling point of streaming services, historically, were that they didn’t have ads like cable. But now, that’s changed. For instance, Netflix reported last May that roughly one-third of its total subscriber base was on the fast-growing ad-supported tier, a figure that has likely only increased in the past year.
Having these alternatives is especially important as more and more people cut the cord and turn to streaming. Per the Couch Potato report, an estimated 48.5 per cent of Canadian households don’t have cable, which is up from 46 per cent in 2024. This number is only expected to further increase to 57 per cent by 2028.
Image credit: Disney
Source: Convergence Research Via: CP24
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