Video Streaming Services Update

It’s been about 2 years since we covered video streaming services and a LOT has changed since then so let’s dive into it. We’re only going to cover the main paid services: Netflix, Apple TV+, Max, Paramount+, Disney+, Peacock, and Hulu. A lot has happened in the FAST market (Free Ad Supported Television) like Tubi, Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, and Xumo Play to name just a few. I’m not going to cover them, nor am I going to cover cable replacement services like Google TV, Sling TV, and Hulu with Live TV.

Prices have gone up all over but that’s not the half of it. The new thing is bundling - getting multiple services for a single price, and what you get as a result is a discount over the combined cost of the individual services. The main players in the paid arena are still the same and I mentioned them earlier. If you’re only interested in one or two services then bundling probably won’t help you, cost-wise. And, of course, you can still do a free trial or pay for a month and cancel but I found that to be more of a hassle than it was worth to me. What we’ll do first is cover the individual services, their offerings, and their prices then we’ll discuss bundling options and the savings you can expect to see.

Individual Service Plans and Prices

Netflix has introduced tiered pricing. Their “Standard with ads” plan lets you watch in HD on up to 2 screens with ads and costs $6.99/month. Their “Standard” plan has no ads and lets you watch in HD on up to 2 screens and costs $15.49/month. Their “Premium” plan lets you watch in Ultra HD on up to 4 screens and costs $22.99/month. Each of these plans has other benefits and restrictions and you can get the details on them all at https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926.

Apple TV+ has one option and that’s to pay monthly but Apple gives you ways to bundle Apple TV+ with other Apple services. For just Apple TV+, $9.99/month gets you ad free viewing. Details, including additional benefits and restrictions, are available at https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-plus/.

Max has both monthly and yearly pricing. Their plan with ads will cost you $9.99/month or $99.99/year. Their ad free plan costs $16.99/month or $169.99/year. Their Ultimate ad free plan costs $20.99/month or $209.99/year. Like all the others there are additional benefits and restrictions and you can read the details at https://help.max.com/US/Answer/Detail/000002547.

Paramount+ has two plans. Paramount+ Essential has ads and costs $5.99/month or $59.99/year. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME has no ads and you get access to SHOWTIME content for $11.99/month or $119.99/year. Again, additional benefits and restrictions are available at https://help.paramountplus.com/s/article/PD-What-plans-are-available-for-Paramount-and-how-much-do-they-cost.

Disney+ has 2 standalone plans. Disney+ basic has ads and is only available on a monthly basis for $7.99. Disney+ Premium has no ads and costs $13.99/month but it’s also available on a yearly basis for $139.99. Details on benefits and restrictions are available at https://help.disneyplus.com/article/disneyplus-price. In addition to their standalone plans, Disney has bundled plans which we’ll cover later.

Peacock has two plans: Premium and Premium Plus. Premium has ads and costs $7.99/month or $79.99/year. Premium Plus has no ads and costs 13.99/month or $139.99/year. Details available at https://www.peacocktv.com/plans/all-monthly.

Hulu has two plans plus a number of bundles. Hulu costs $7.99/month or $79.99/year with ads. Hulu (no ads) costs $17.99/month with no yearly option. They also offer a student plan for $1.99/month. Details are available at https://help.hulu.com/article/hulu-how-much-does-hulu-cost.

Bundles Part 1 - Hulu and Disney+

There are many ways to bundle and going over the most popular ones will take us into a second discussion, hence, part 1.

As I mentioned earlier Hulu has a number of bundles including one with live TV. We’ll deal with live TV options, i.e. cable replacement options, in a subsequent discussion. But as far as other Hulu bundles, you can add Disney+ with ads for $2/month and ESPN+ for $10.99/month. You can also add Max, Cinemax, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, and STARZ. Again, I’ll direct you to the Hulu plans and pricing page at https://help.hulu.com/article/hulu-how-much-does-hulu-cost for add-in and bundle costs and details.

Hulu has a Disney bundle. The Disney Bundle Duo Basic includes which, for $9.99/month includes Disney+ with ads and Hulu with ads. Disney Bundle Duo Premium costs $19.99/month and includes Disney+ without ads and Hulu without ads but this bundle must be purchased at Disney.

If you’re also a sports fan, Hulu offers the Disney Bundle Trio Basic which, for $14.99/month, gets you ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu all with ads. The Disney Bundle Trio Premium is available to bring you the same services, all without ads, for $24.99/month.

If this seems like Disney+ and Hulu are in a partnership, you’re right! The same packages are available from Disney+ and the details are available at https://www.disneyplus.com/welcome/disney-hulu-espn-bundle.

That's all for this week's column. We’ll continue this next time with part 2 of Bundles but I hope this helps you get started understanding the current pricing structure for the most popular premium video streaming services. Don't hesitate to write to me if you have questions!

As always, my intent is to help you understand the basics and equip you to search for more detailed information.

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