Renewing TV streaming services this year? What to know about prices, libraries

Over the past year, subscription prices have risen at nearly every major TV streaming platform.

Streaming television forever changed how Canadians watch their favourite shows, offering a seemingly bottomless library of commercial-free programming for a dirt-cheap price.

Now, the overlords of entertainment have come to collect their dues.

Over the past year, subscription prices have risen at nearly every major TV streaming platform. Some companies have pushed up their monthly rates while others took a more covert approach by reworking their service packages with a price hike built in.

Meanwhile, the introduction of ad-supported subscription tiers at Netflix, Crave, and Disney Plus gave consumers a way to keep their budgets in check, if they were willing to sit through commercial breaks.

The world of TV is transforming again. It’s enough to frustrate any viewer who hoped the streaming revolution might lead to simplicity and cost savings, and not simply look more like their old cable bill every year.

Independent technology analyst Carmi Levy says 2023 was when the shine came off the world of streaming for average consumers.

“Fatigue (over) costs rising faster than the already high rate of inflation is starting to catch up with the hype,” suggested the London, Ont.-based industry watcher.

“Reality is starting to prevail.”