Rising Subs: Paramount+, Peacock, and More

It’s June. None of my streaming bills look like they did last summer. Don’t even ask me about Paramount+—I’m still pretending that hike didn’t happen. The “ad-supported” tiers? Getting close to cable prices now. But with so much overlap, skipping one isn’t even a bold move anymore. The worst part: my phone’s auto-renewal alerts stress me out more than my actual job.

paramount+

Paramount+ was supposed to be the “budget” pick—was it for Star Trek? Anyway, the new Paramount+ w/SHOWTIME plan tacked on $2, and the plain Essential ad-supported plan jumped $1 (for U.S. folks, according to trackers). I bounce between platforms for NFL and Survivor, but these hikes? They’re annual now. 2023, 2024—every year, more expensive. Most originals show up elsewhere eventually, and live stuff lags anyway.

The ad-free plan is over $12 now, which is basically what Max used to cost. For me, that means “skip unless you’re obsessed with CBS reruns”—or just borrow a password until you get that awkward warning. The app UI changes every month, and my dad still can’t work the rewind button. If these hikes keep up, people are just gonna rotate in and out every few months. Loyalty? Not happening.

peacock

Peacock axed the free tier ages ago—2023, right?—and now Premium’s up again, $7.99 a month unless you want “Premium Plus,” which is supposed to be ad-free but, I swear, I still get ads for toothpaste or whatever. Double the price for that, too. I mostly keep it for Premier League matches or SNL reruns, but, honestly, who’s glued to Peacock originals? I asked my neighbor and she looked at me like, “Wait, isn’t that just for the Olympics?”

If I’m trying to save, I just drop the subscription after soccer season and pick it up for a random WWE event. There’s always some new free trial floating around anyway. Cord Cutters News says every service tacked on $1 or $2 this year. Friends keep texting me about “free Peacock” with their internet, but that’s just a few Xfinity folks. Most people don’t even notice the extra $2 until March when the charge pops up and you’re like, “What even is this?”

apple tv+

Apple TV+ is a weird one. I never remember signing up, but there it is, $9.99 a month now, which is wild because it used to be five bucks. Where’d that go? I’ll give them this—no ads, no weird tiers, just… shows. My friend raves about Severance and Ted Lasso. Me? The rest of the lineup is thinner than my patience for another billing email.

Sharing is a mess. Apple’s family sharing is technically cool but, let’s be real, nobody under 35 bothers to figure it out. No ad-supported version, no bundles unless you buy their gear, so you’re stuck paying full price. I’ve got a film nerd friend who swears their 4K streams look better than Blu-ray, but for me, if I skip a month, nothing feels missing. No show makes me drop everything, but my iPhone pings me the second I think about canceling.

Lesser-Known Services and Their Impact

Subscriptions just keep chugging along, never bothering to ask if I’m even watching. Price hikes, “upgrades,” whatever—they just drop in. There’s nothing slower than realizing you’ve paid for a service you forgot about for half a year. And for what? My queue looks the same.

discovery+

Discovery+ always lurks on my TV menu. Is it mocking me with all those renovation shows, or is it just quietly stealing $5 from me every month? If you’re obsessed with reality TV or docs—HGTV, Food Network, TLC—it’s a goldmine. I swapped watchlists with friends and, fun fact, only one even remembered Discovery+ had “90 Day Fiancé” exclusives.

How does this thing survive? Apparently niche streamers are thriving. Is there that much demand for cake competitions and attic cleanouts? My dermatologist once told me I watch more people clean than I spend time outside. She’s not wrong. It’s a weirdly strong pull.

But is it worth it? Unless you’re deep into a genre, it’s just another bill. Originals rarely go viral. Why add another charge unless you live for reruns? Still, if you’re allergic to cable and like rotating apps, Discovery+ won’t wreck your budget.

amazon prime video

Amazon Prime Video just sort of appeared in my life, right? “Free with shipping,” they said. Now it’s this monster—ad tiers, upcharges for anything new, “included with Prime” labels that vanish overnight. Prices keep creeping up, and features get split off. I’m not hallucinating, and neither are the tech folks tracking every hike.

They’ve got a big library, sure, but who’s really counting down for an Amazon original? My cousin calls it “a rental kiosk inside a convenience store,” which, yeah, feels right. If I’m buying ant traps and want to watch “Reacher,” it’s all there, but otherwise? Most good movies are “rent only” or buried in the algorithm.

Does it matter? I mostly notice the hit on my bank account, not in my conversations. Still, experts claim the bundling keeps people from canceling, even as the price creeps up.

cbs all access

Nobody’s bragging about CBS All Access at dinner. Or, wait, it’s Paramount+ now, but my billing emails still say CBS All Access. Time loop? They’ve got NFL, “Star Trek: Picard,” and every cop show ever.

I read somewhere that specialty streamers get more loyalty, not more subscribers. CBS is Exhibit A for me. There’s this steady crowd who know every NCIS twist and still miss “The Good Fight.” Minor streamers are growing even as prices rise, but my friend Leah would drop CBS in a second if not for live sports.

Their app? It crashes more than my first car. If you’re here for workplace dramas, just know you’re paying for something nobody else in your house even notices. I once re-upped for a playoff game and forgot to cancel. Oops.