Household spending on streaming platforms has been increasing for years. I must say, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and others has revised its prices upward on several occasions.
For example, Netflix’s Premium subscription was priced at €11.99 per month in 2014, when the platform was launched in France. At the time of writing, you now have to pay €19.99 per month to benefit from the best Netflix offer.
More expensive streaming offers than ever before
Apple TV+, on the other hand, has been offering a single price of € 6.99 for years. It’s a pretty reasonable price, especially considering the quality of the catalogue, with 4K image definition throughout (editor’s note: 4K is usually only accessible on the most expensive streaming offers). Ultimately, however, the Cupertino company decided to raise the prices of its platform from 6.99 in October 2023. €9.99 per month.
As you can see, subscribing to multiple streaming platforms today means a significant cost. If we take out of the equation the latest advertising-related formulas launched by Netflix, Disney or newcomer Max, the bill can quickly reach 40 to 50 euros monthly depending on the platforms chosen and your needs (it can easily approach €80 if you want to see EVERYTHING).
In fact, some users tend to turn to physical media. At least, we make sure we have a job forever (platform catalogs are constantly evolving according to licensing rights) for a single investment (i.e. DVD/Blu-Ray price).
Is going back to physical media a good idea for the wallet?
However, if we believe the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (American organization focusing on labor economics and statistics), DVD and Blu-Ray prices have also continued to rise in recent years. In June 2024, Average price of DVD/Blu-Ray increased by 29% Compared to the same period in 2023!
How to explain such a price increase? If more and more people want to return to the physical world, it’s pretty simple. there are fewer and fewer sellers. It’s for good reason that many specialist brands have chosen to reduce, if not eliminate, DVD/Blu-Ray marketing. This is, for example, the case of Best Buy, one of the largest American retailers, which has decided to completely stop selling movies, TV series and video games on physical media in 2024.
Also read: Xbox – the end of physical gaming? This news sparked debate
Just go to any Fnac store in France to see this DVD/Blu-Ray partition meltedIn favor of other products that are more profitable and more fashionable than vinyls, for example. This phenomenon is further strengthened by the selection of: Some major studios will no longer offer physical releases for their films. In Australia, for example, Disney no longer sells any of its films in physical format, opting instead for a digital version or streaming directly on Disney+ in the best-case scenario.
Still, this trend is expected to continue in the coming years, according to the Labor Bureau. You should also wait Increase in DVD and Blu-Ray player prices. Enough to wonder about the financial relevance of returning to physical examination, at least.
Source : TechRadar
