The great streaming rip-off: MailOnline’s calculator reveals how much you spend on subscriptions to services such as Disney+, Prime Video and Netflix – with some Britons now shelling out £3,000 a year
- This week, Netflix announced that it was hiking prices for millions of Britons
- How much are you paying on TV subscriptions? Use our calculator to find out
From Netflix to Hayu, there are now dozens of streaming services available for TV lovers in the UK.
These services were once hailed as a cheaper alternative to a Sky box, but many now come with hefty price-tags – which quickly add up.
Just this week, Netflix announced that it was hiking its prices for millions of customers in the UK, with some now facing monthly fees of up to £17.99 – an increase of £2 per month.
Research has shown that three-quarters of Britons now have at least one streaming service, while more than half have three or more.
So, just how much are you shelling out on TV subscriptions? Use MailOnline’s streaming cost calculator below to find out.
Some of the UK’s most popular streaming platforms for films, TV, ad-free watching of terrestrial shows, reality TV and sports – but taking out subscriptions for these services will cost you £110.92 a month
How Netflix subscriptions are increasing in price
UK
Basic plan: Up by £1 a month to £7.99 per month
Standard: Unchanged at £10.99 per month
Premium: Up £2 to £17.99 per month
US
Basic plan: Up $2 to $12 per month
Standard: Unchanged at $15.49 per month
Premium: Up $2 to $23 per month
The calculator includes 30 of the most popular TV subscription services in the UK, which range in price from £3.99/month to £34.99/month.
To use it, click in the search box, and type the name of a service.
Click on the name, and you’ll see the cost appear in the box below.
Continue to add all the services you use to see your total spend per month.
Coming in at the bottom end of the scale are Discovery+ (basic) and Channel 4+, which both cost £3.99/month.
However, should you want to access the most comprehensive Discovery+ packages, you’ll have to shell out £5.99 for Discovery+ Standard, and a whopping £29.99 for Premium with TNT Sports.
Other options on the cheaper end of the scale include MGM (£4.49/month), StudioCanal Presents (£4.99/month), Hayu (£4.99/month), and Shudder (£4.99).
However, somewhat unsurprisingly, the more well-known services come at a heftier cost.
With around 12.9 million users in the UK, Amazon Prime Video is one of the most popular platforms, enticing users in with exclusive shows such as The Summer I Turned Pretty and Good Omens.
However, a monthly subscription will set you back £8.99/month.
Netflix users have been left furious, following the news this week that subscription prices are increasing
With around 12.9 million users in the UK, Amazon Prime Video is one of the most popular platforms, enticing users in with exclusive shows such as The Summer I Turned Pretty (pictured) and Good Omens
READ MORE: Netflix users threaten to CANCEL their subscriptions as prices are hiked for millions of UK customers
Film fans have blasted the decision to increase subscription prices in the UK, with some calling Netflix ‘greedy’
While you can sign-up for Prime Video on its own for £5.99/month, you won’t get the other benefits that come with Prime, like one-day and same-day delivery.
At £7.99, Disney+ is currently slightly cheaper – but not for long.
From November 1, that price will automatically increase by £3, with users now facing monthly bills of £10.99.
If you can endure the annoyance of adverts, you will also have the option of a new £4.99/month ad-supported tier.
Meanwhile, Netflix users have been left furious, following the news this week that subscription prices are increasing.
In the UK, the price of a basic plan is going up by £1/month to £7.99.
Its premium, ad-free plan now costs £17.99 in the UK – a rise of £2.
The standard subscription will remain at £10.99 per month.
However, it’s NOW TV that has the most expensive offering in the UK.
NOW Sports, which provides unlimited access to 11 Sky Sports channels, will set you back £34.99/month.
Individually, these subscriptions might not sound too expensive, but when you begin signing up to multiple services, they really begin to add up.
Signing up for Netflix (standard), Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ will currently set you back £27.97/month, which equates to £335.64/year.
Meanwhile, if you’re a super TV buff and decide to sign up to all 30 services, you’ll be splashing out £266.21 every month.
Disney+ is currently slightly cheaper, at £7.99 – but not for long. From November 1, that price will automatically increase by £3, with users now facing monthly bills of £10.99
That’s the equivalent of £3,194.52 every year!
Oli Townsend, assistant deals and features editor at MoneySavingExpert.com, told MailOnline: ‘Only subscribing to one streaming service at a time, watching what you want, then cancelling and moving to another is a quick way to save each month.
‘With the cost of streaming increasing for many, it’s a good time for consumers to consider how much value they’re getting from any subscriptions they have, and to look for alternatives if they want to cut back the cost.
‘It is important to regularly audit your bank accounts for recurring payments to streaming services, as they can sometimes be forgotten about and tough to spot.
‘Some banks show such payments in a dedicated section, often called “subscriptions” or “scheduled payments”, so be sure to check if you are using the platforms you are currently subscribed to.
‘Use the handy free online tool JustWatch to check which streaming service has the shows or movies you want to see, so that you’re only paying for a streaming service you’ll actually use.
‘If you’re subscribed to one but struggle to find something to watch, remember if you’re paying monthly, most let you cancel penalty-free at any time.’
THE HISTORY OF NETFLIX PRICE HIKES IN THE UK
May 2014: Netflix announced an increase in its monthly fee for streaming movies and television shows from £5.99 to £6.99.
The price hike was immediate for new subscribers but was delayed for two years for its existing members.
But Netflix allowed subscribers to keep paying £5.99 a month if they opt for a lower-resolution ‘SD’ quality service.
May 2016: Netflix raises its monthly price for UK basic users from £5.99 to £7.49 a month.
A similar price change took place for US customers, who saw their subscription fee increase by $2 (around £1.40 at the time).
Anyone who signed up to Netflix when it launched in Britain would have received the standard package for £5.99 per month.
But in an email to subscribers Netflix wrote: ‘When we raised prices for new Netflix members in 2014, we kept your price the same for two years. Your special pricing is now ending and your new price will be £7.49 per month.’
October 2017: The company raised prices in both the UK and US for the first time in two years.
The standard package price increase by 50p to £7.99 per month.
The premium package jumped to £9.99 a month, an increase of £1.
Netflix said at the time that the price change reflected the additional content added to its service.
May 2019: Netflix confirms that British customers will see the price of the standard tarriff increase from £7.99 to £8.99.
The premium tarriff was also bumped up by £2 to £11.99.
January 2021: Netflix hikes subscription fees for UK users as the country entered its third lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The standard package – which allows two screens to access an account, as well as HD – was raised by £1 per month, from £8.99 to £9.99.
The premium package – providing four-screen access per account and Ultra HD – is bumped up by £2, from £11.99 to £13.99.
The basic package stayed the same price.
March 2022: Netflix increases prices for the second time in just over a year.
The basic and standard plan go up by £1 a month to £6.99 and £10.99 respectively, while the premium tier goes from £13.99 to £15.99.
October 2023: In the UK, the price of a basic plan goes up by £1 a month to £7.99.
Its premium, ad-free plan now costs £17.99 in the UK – a rise of £2.
The standard subscription will remain at £10.99 per month.
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