By Kaliyah Green
Streaming services were supposed to be the escape from cable’s high costs and endless commercials.
Many platforms that were once ad-free have introduced tiered subscription models with ads at cheaper prices.
Part of this shift is tied to the competition between streaming companies and the need for them to cover the high costs of streaming and producing original content. Streaming platforms are chasing profits while users are left wondering if they’re really saving money.
For years, streaming services were marketed as the cost-effective alternative to traditional cable. College students, in particular, gravitated towards streaming services due to affordability and convenience.
However, with the rise of subscription costs, the introduction of ad-supported tiers and the growing number of platforms required to access different content, streaming is no longer the budget-friendly solution it once was.
A student who wants to watch HBO’s “Euphoria” and Netflix’s “Stranger Things” would need to pay for two separate subscriptions just to keep up with popular programming.
This not only adds up financially but also creates inconvenience, as users navigate between different apps and they have to remember the login information just to access the content they want.
“Streaming services such as Netflix have been a great alternative for this past century, but recently there have been ads added when the whole point in the first place was to not,” said Sylvia Mania, a SUNY Plattsburgh sophomore. “Therefore, I believe that this is defeating the transition and is simply setting us back to where we were with cable.”
According to CNET, “While streaming prices continue to increase, there are no taxes or hidden costs. You also don’t have to worry about fees for leasing equipment, contracts, or waiting for the cable guy to come out for repairs or installation.”
Some cable TV plans are cheaper than streaming services. However, many may resort to password sharing, but Netflix is cracking down on that, while others may reconsider cable, which now offers bundle deals that include streaming services.
The cost advantage that once made streaming services appealing has largely disappeared. The promise of cheaper or more flexible entertainment has been replaced with rising subscription fees, fragmented content and the return of ads.
So, what’s the difference between today’s streaming model and traditional cable? The only real change is the packaging.
Instead of a single provider bundling everything together, we now have to manage multiple accounts, multiple logins and multiple bills. Streaming, which once symbolized simplicity and affordability, has become just as complicated and costly as the system it was meant to replace.
Some offer streaming service bundles, but they don’t always align with what the viewer is looking to watch.
Today, maintaining access to all the top shows and movies requires multiple subscriptions, making the total cost comparable to—or even higher than—a traditional cable package.
