Silliness What do you pay for streaming?

issybird · 11-07-2025, 02:41 PM

The What Are You Watching thread has got me curious; how much do people pay each month for streaming services? I’m asking about subscriptions alone, not underlying internet or basic cable, but the premium subscription services. And video only, not music. I’m putting it into $US, $CA and £UK; obviously I may be way off base in terms of non-US costs so please extend me some latitutude! Or not, of course.

And for those outside these three countries, please do the best you can within those parameters.

DiapDealer · 11-07-2025, 02:57 PM

I refuse to add it up (but I know it's over $50 US).

Martinoptic · 11-07-2025, 03:12 PM

I don't stream other than free services.

issybird · 11-07-2025, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I refuse to add it up (but I know it's over $50 US).

My top bracket may be too low!

Rumpelteazer · 11-07-2025, 03:43 PM

I pay for Amazon Prime (which also comes with free shipping of most of the products they sell), HBO (still got the 50% discount from when they launched in the Netherlands) and NLZiet. We don't have a cable subscription so with NLZiet I can still get watch TV channels offered on most basic cable packages but a lot cheaper (I really enjoy watching the BBC). So I pay somewhere between €20 and €30.

My sister pays for Netflix. Every once in a while we get Apple or Disney for a month or two when there are several series we want to watch. When there's a movie we want to see which isn't available on any of our streaming services we digitally rent the movie mostly from Pathé Thuis.

I also have a lot of physical media. Some I've digitized. I'm still buying DVD's and BluRays, although I've become a lot more selective in my purchases because I don't have a huge amount of space left on my shelves.

Sirtel · 11-07-2025, 04:54 PM

Nothing, most of the time (i.e. I don't subscribe to or watch anything). Occasionally I want to watch a specific series and then I usually subscribe to the relevant platform for as long as I watch it. I have no continuous subscriptions, because I seldom watch anything these days - I prefer reading.

So none of the options really apply. Most of the time it's 0, but not always.

DNSB · 11-07-2025, 06:52 PM

I wasn't quite sure how to answer this. I get Prime Video as part of Amazon Prime and several services (Disney+, CityTV+, etc.) as part of my cable/internet/cell phone package but I don't actually have any standalone streaming packages so I selected the $0 option.

Hemmi · Yesterday, 10:17 AM

We pay for cable TV. With that, we get access to lots of streaming for free, we just have to link our TV service to the app. I can watch anything from Discovery+ without paying for it. Or paying additional on top of the cable service.

I pay for Hulu and Disney+. $3 a month with the Black Friday sales.

Recently got Paramount+, $30 for a year which is $2.50 a month, under their fall sale.

I intend to get Peacock if it goes on sale for $30 for a year.

Quoth · Yesterday, 12:11 PM

If I really want to watch something not FTA, I'd buy a disc. We did have subscription Satellite TV maybe 1999 to 2004.

Sirtel · Yesterday, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

If I really want to watch something not FTA, I'd buy a disc.

That's much more expensive than subscribing to a streaming platform for a few weeks. I'd only buy a disc if it's something I want to rewatch several times. If it's something I only watch once (the majority of movies and TV series), I don't want any physical media cluttering up my home.

Rumpelteazer · Yesterday, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

That's much more expensive than subscribing to a streaming platform for a few weeks. I'd only buy a disc if it's something I want to rewatch several times. If it's something I only watch once (the majority of movies and TV series), I don't want any physical media cluttering up my home.

When preparing to move to our new house a year and a half ago I got rid of a lot/most of my DVDs, because I didn't know much space I would have for them. I'm now slowly rebuilding my movie library. Focusing on my favourite movies and others that I want to rewatch every once in a while. Where possible I'm getting them in BluRay (4K/UHD has my preference).

New movies I'm interested in I watch either in cinema or on streaming before deciding whether or not I want to get them on physical media. Only a handful of movies released in the last couple of years have made the cut.

View Poll Results: How much do you pay monthly for premium video streaming services?
US$0 — CA$0 — UK£0	6	60.00%
US$1 - $15; CA$1 - $20; UK£1 - £12	2	20.00%
US$16 - $30; CA$21 - $40; UK£13 - £25	1	10.00%
US$31 - $50; CA$41 - $70; UK£26 - £40	0	0%
Over US $50; Over CA$70; Over UK£40	1	10.00%
Voters: 10. You may not vote on this poll

11-07-2025, 02:41 PM	#1
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,535 Karma: 236076651 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	What do you pay for streaming? The What Are You Watching thread has got me curious; how much do people pay each month for streaming services? I’m asking about subscriptions alone, not underlying internet or basic cable, but the premium subscription services. And video only, not music. I’m putting it into $US, $CA and £UK; obviously I may be way off base in terms of non-US costs so please extend me some latitutude! Or not, of course. And for those outside these three countries, please do the best you can within those parameters.

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11-07-2025, 02:57 PM	#2
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,897 Karma: 207182180 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I refuse to add it up (but I know it's over $50 US).

11-07-2025, 03:12 PM	#3
Martinoptic Bibliophist Posts: 7,567 Karma: 7318592 Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: England Device: none	I don't stream other than free services.

11-07-2025, 03:43 PM	#5
Rumpelteazer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,407 Karma: 27919658 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	I pay for Amazon Prime (which also comes with free shipping of most of the products they sell), HBO (still got the 50% discount from when they launched in the Netherlands) and NLZiet. We don't have a cable subscription so with NLZiet I can still get watch TV channels offered on most basic cable packages but a lot cheaper (I really enjoy watching the BBC). So I pay somewhere between €20 and €30. My sister pays for Netflix. Every once in a while we get Apple or Disney for a month or two when there are several series we want to watch. When there's a movie we want to see which isn't available on any of our streaming services we digitally rent the movie mostly from Pathé Thuis. I also have a lot of physical media. Some I've digitized. I'm still buying DVD's and BluRays, although I've become a lot more selective in my purchases because I don't have a huge amount of space left on my shelves.

11-07-2025, 04:54 PM	#6
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 14,009 Karma: 243829945 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Nothing, most of the time (i.e. I don't subscribe to or watch anything). Occasionally I want to watch a specific series and then I usually subscribe to the relevant platform for as long as I watch it. I have no continuous subscriptions, because I seldom watch anything these days - I prefer reading. So none of the options really apply. Most of the time it's 0, but not always.

11-07-2025, 06:52 PM	#7
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 48,283 Karma: 174315444 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	I wasn't quite sure how to answer this. I get Prime Video as part of Amazon Prime and several services (Disney+, CityTV+, etc.) as part of my cable/internet/cell phone package but I don't actually have any standalone streaming packages so I selected the $0 option.

Yesterday, 10:17 AM	#8
Hemmi Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,829 Karma: 15987608 Join Date: Apr 2015 Device: Sonys, Nooks, Kobo Libra, Forma, Mini, Paperwhite	We pay for cable TV. With that, we get access to lots of streaming for free, we just have to link our TV service to the app. I can watch anything from Discovery+ without paying for it. Or paying additional on top of the cable service. I pay for Hulu and Disney+. $3 a month with the Black Friday sales. Recently got Paramount+, $30 for a year which is $2.50 a month, under their fall sale. I intend to get Peacock if it goes on sale for $30 for a year.

Yesterday, 12:11 PM	#9
Quoth Still reading Posts: 15,040 Karma: 111111255 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	If I really want to watch something not FTA, I'd buy a disc. We did have subscription Satellite TV maybe 1999 to 2004.