Vox | Why The Era of Cheap Streaming is Over

When streaming first came onto the scene, it seemingly came with a promise: the movies and TV that you love, without ads, for a much cheaper price than cable.

Less than 20 years down the line, it feels like that promise has been broken. Streaming is more expensive than ever, and prices just keep going up. Password sharing has been cracked down on, forcing more of us to pay to stream. And in the backdrop of all that, advertising is back with a vengeance, thanks to the rise of the cheaper ad-supported subscription tiers.

As a consumer, this feels infuriating. But we’re not entirely at the whim of these companies. So why is all this happening? And what can we do to not go broke while still enjoying our favorite shows?

Note: The title on this video has been changed.

Previous title: Streaming got expensive. Now what?