The days of consumers getting a free ride on streaming video are coming to an end.
Streaming services are cracking down on account sharing. This month, Disney followed Netflix in announcing a crackdown on account sharing.
Disney’s move follows Netflix’s success in disallowing password sharing. Netflix predicted that those sharing accounts would pay $7 to $15 per month to watch was in fact accurate.
Currently, streaming subscriptions are rather increasing as sharing crackdowns escalate. The company added more than 9 million subscribers in the first quarter of this year, following 30 million last year.
More consumers are moving between content and subscriptions. Some companies have bundled deals to retain subscribers.
A recent bundle of the top five services – Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Max, and Paramount Plus – can save up to $100 a month, based on an ad-free plan.
When comparing the subscription prices of eight streaming companies as of August for new subscribers, the cheapest monthly subscription with ads was $6 per month for Paramount Plus and the most expensive was $10 per month for Max.
Ad-free subscriptions ranged from $10 to $18 per month, with Apple TV Plus at $10 and Hulu at $18. Most of the services offered free trials, except for Netflix, Peacock, and Max. Of these, Hulu and Amazon Prime offered the longest free trial periods of 30 days.
Netflix, which ranked highest in WhipMedia’s 2023 Streaming Satisfaction Survey, offers three plans. It costs $7 per month with ads, $15 per month without ads, and $20 per month for the Premium plan.
Hulu has the advantage of bundling Live TV, Disney+, and ESPN+. It costs $77 per month with ads, or $90 per month without ads.
Amazon Prime Video is free for Prime members. As of January of this year, Prime members will have to pay $3 per month to watch without ads. The standalone service costs $9 to $12 per month.
Paramount Plus is the newest streaming service CBS All Access launched in 2021. Subscriptions range from $6 to $12 per month. It offers live sports and ad-free streaming.
Apple TV Plus, which produced the Pachinko, the most Korean story ever told and has received rave reviews, costs $10 per month.
Disney Plus includes all content from Disney, Marvel Entertainment, and other Disney properties. Subscriptions range from $8 to $14 but will increase to $10 to $16 on October 17. It also offers six different bundle packages with Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Max.
Peacock, owned by NBCUniversal, offers a cheap basic plan with Paramount Plus. At $8 per month, Premium Plus costs $14.
BY EUNYOUNG LEE, HOONSIK WOO [lee.eunyoung6@koreadaily.com]
