The Painful Truth of Subscription TV Services

The way we watched our favorite shows underwent quite a transformation, like many other things, around the Covid-19 epidemic when we were stuck inside our homes. Knowing they had a captive audience, a new crop of TV streaming services was born. We had some great new shows to choose from, but they came at a price.

As a result, I have to consider paying for plus this and plus that to get the content I’m searching for. To this day, the streaming media kings continue to gouge users. 

I want to watch my shows at a reasonable price. That’s not a lot to ask. Yet, that went out the window when a significant change occurred during the first two years of Covid-19 regarding how the film and TV industry make films and how they are screened and distributed. Thus, the streaming wars among networks were underway. 

The Price for Streaming

Oh, yes, I can still have the option to subscribe to plans through, for instance, Xfinity or satellite providers such as DirecTV or Dish Network. But if I want to watch some attractive shows from various networks, I better prepare to pay through the nose.

For example, I am a big “Star Trek” fan, and I want to see “Star Trek: Picard” or “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.” The only place I can get that is Paramount+ since it’s their exclusive content. That means I must pay either $4.99 for the Essential plan or $9.99 for the Premium plan. The main difference is the Essential program has limited interruptions and does not include the local CBS channel. The NFL and UEFA are separate feeds. The Premium plan has the local CBS channel, but live TV streams have commercials.

That’s just the beginning. What about that great content with other streaming networks? I don’t want to be stuck with Paramount+, and that’s it. So, here is an example of what someone will pay to see all their favorite shows. And, for the moment, I will avoid the bundles:

Building My Subscriptions

I want to start with Disney+ because I like Pixar’s content, such as the “Toy Story” franchise, but I want Marvel and “Star Wars.” Disney gives you the ads or no ads option, and I don’t want to watch the ads. So I am paying $10.99 each month.

Next, I see some cool shows on HBO Max, such as “The Last of Us” and “Rain Dogs.” I’m also a big fan of HBO’s older dramas like “Game of Thrones” and “The Sopranos,” I can watch them anytime I want. Again, I do not want ads with my subscription, which will cost me $15.99 monthly.

One of my favorite networks before the plus-thing is AMC. This is the network that brought a lot of classics such as “Breaking Bad.” But, alas, AMC has gone the plus route. AMC+ has intriguing content, such as “Gangs of London” and “Mayfair Witches.” However, I must pay $8.99 monthly after a 7-day free trial.

Meanwhile, Amazon Prime is getting some good content, but I must pay $14.99 monthly unless I have an Amazon Prime membership. With that, Amazon Prime content is free. Oh, but the membership costs $14.99, so I am paying that amount one way or another.

As I shop for more content, I’m more curious about NBC’s Peacock. A few Peacock original shows, such as “Poker Face” and “Sick,” look like winners. Peacock also delivers NBC repeats like “The Office.” The cost is $4.99 with ads or, my choice, $9.99 without ads.

Even ESPN has gotten into the act with its plus package, but I like what I already have regarding sports choices, except for NFL Thursday night games now exclusively aired on Prime Video. 

Of course, there are tons of bundles out there to save some money, but do I get what I want? Not necessarily. There is a Disney bundle with Hulu for $9.99 monthly for ads, $12.99 without ads, and $19.99 where I get no ads and ESPN+. Again, it doesn’t give me everything I want.

Social Media Gets into the Act

I want to go off track here, but it still falls under paying for media. I like social media just like the next person, yet three of the more popular outlets are making me pay for what has been free content since they began. I am speaking about Facebook, or Meta, Instagram, and Twitter. 

To begin with, Mark Zuckerberg charges $11.99 monthly for a Meta blue badge or $14.99 if purchased on Apple’s operating system (iOS). Meta and Instagram are separate purchases, so if you want both, it will cost around $24 a month.

That comes after Elon Musk looked for what he claims was added security for Twitter, but he’s also looking to add revenue somehow. Twitter has launched a new verification program where users can pay $8 monthly to get a blue check to verify someone’s true identity. In addition, those with paid blue checks will receive expanded tweets and fewer ads. 

The Final Tally

Now, let’s see if my math is correct. If I add up what I want for streaming without ads, the tally is $90.92 per month. Throw in the paid versions of Meta and Twitter at $32, and what was once free now costs me $122.92 each month.

Wait a minute. I also want to watch the local news, my favorite local sports teams, and check out what’s going on, say, “NCIS” on CBS or “Chicago P.D.” on NBC, or other programs from cable and dish such as TBS and TNT, Bravo or BET. 

I could go with DirecTV for $74.99 monthly or Dish for $79.99. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a straight answer from Xfinity regarding its general cost, but I learned that Fubo is $94.99 per month, and Sling goes for $55 per month. It would be safe to say that the overall cost to me is in the neighborhood of $200 per month.

Can the Prices Decrease? 

Of course, this isn’t fair. Once these plus networks started to pop up during the Covid pandemic, the game changed, and I’m on the hook for these great shows. However, the game is changing again. With inflation and a potential recession, people are pulling the plug on these networks.

According to Forbes, just over 15 percent of Americans now say they do not use any TV subscription services, an increase of 2.8 percentage points compared to October 2022. Who knows? The networks may respond accordingly and drop their prices.

But I will not hold my breath.