Streaming can feel like fantastic value, with huge libraries of movies and TV shows available for a relatively low monthly fee.
But when you add up the cost of a full year of access, especially to multiple services, the picture starts to look rather different.
How different? We've crunched the numbers, and the results might surprise you.
Paying the price
Streaming isn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things – the top, all-singing, all-dancing tiers of Netflix and Disney+, for example, cost £18.99 and £14.99 a month, respectively.
Many people (though clearly not all) probably don't even notice that coming out of their bank account each month. But while these prices might seem relatively low, they soon add up.
Here's what you'll pay over a year for the top subscription (we hate ads and love 4K / Dolby Atmos) of each streaming service:
Watching the costs add up
The annual cost of TV streaming services
Price
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Netflix | 227.88 |
| Disney+ | 179.88 |
| Amazon Prime Video | 119.88 |
| Apple TV | 119.88 |
| Mubi | 227.88 |
| Shudder | 59.88 |
| Crunchyroll | 83.88 |
| Paramount+ | 131.88 |
For the equivalent of an annual Netflix subscription, you could buy 11 4K Blu-rays at £20 a pop (more if they're on a deal, as they often are). That's nearly one a month.
There are other factors to consider. Most of us have more than one streaming service because of their different content libraries, which makes the habit even more expensive. And with life having a tendency to get in the way, some months we won't watch very much at all.
Suddenly, it doesn't seem such great value.
Admittedly, you do get unlimited viewing of the streamer's entire catalogue, but you never own any of it – if you cancel your subscription, all of your favourite films and TV shows are gone, just like that.
Also remember that some services (Prime Video, we're looking at you) charge extra for certain films and shows not included in the subscription price. So you could end up paying more on top.
Let's have a look at what this looks like over five years and a decade.
Service | Cost over 5 years | Cost over 10 years |
|---|---|---|
Netflix | £1139.40 | £2278.80 |
Disney+ | £899.40 | £1798.80 |
Amazon Prime Video | £599.40 | £1198.80 |
Apple TV | £599.40 | £1198.80 |
Mubi | £1139.40 | £2278.80 |
Shudder | £299.40 | £598.80 |
Crunchyroll | £419.40 | £838.80 |
Paramount+ | £659.40 | £1318.80 |
And these are at today's prices. Price rises are a given – Netflix has increased its prices in the UK four times since 2021. Take more than one service, and you're looking at a hefty bill.
Someone with Netflix and Disney+, for example, will pay over £400 a year, over £2000 in five years and a whopping £4000 in a decade.
Consider that a 4K Blu-ray costs around £20-25, gives you better picture and sound quality and is yours to keep forever, and streaming starts to look like very poor value indeed.
And that's before you consider how streaming changes your relationship with the content itself.
Faced with an endless carousel of content, all of which feels free (even though it isn't), you inevitably adopt the infinite scroll mentality – even if you like the look of something, you keep searching in case there's something better.
It all becomes disposable, with low-budget fare such as Is It Cake? sitting alongside critically acclaimed films such as Emilia Pérez. When everything is flattened, nothing stands out. This is the landscape we find ourselves in.
There's no curation; that's the problem. Whereas a Blu-ray is a considered purchase – something you'll watch more than once, in the best possible quality, and may even work your way through its extensive list of special features. Now that's value for money.
A word on our methodology
We've made certain assumptions here. As mentioned, we've based our prices on the best possible picture and sound quality for each service (though not the family plans, which would push prices up even further), as we assume that's what our readers desire. Most streaming services have cheaper tiers if you're willing to suffer worse quality and adverts.
Some services can also be bundled together to save money, such as Netflix and Disney+ with Sky. Though that means paying for Sky as well.
Some (such as Disney+ and Shudder) also offer annual plans, which are cheaper than paying month by month. But then you're locked in for a set period, instead of having the flexibility to cancel your membership at any time.
Prime Video is cheaper for Prime members, though that comes with its own cost. And Mubi's Go plan (which we've used in our calculations) includes a cinema ticket each week, so you can remember what it's like to watch a film properly.
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