The Economics of Streaming vs. Cable in 2025

A side-by-side look at top-tier packages shows streaming services no longer deliver the obvious savings they once promised. Boardroom dives into the numbers.

When cable bills hit $100-plus a month, streaming has long been pitched as the cheaper, more flexible alternative.

But with each service hiking rates, offering premium tiers, and adding live-TV elements, the buffet of streaming isn’t such a bargain anymore. If you were to subscribe to the top tiers of all the major streaming platforms, would that bundle end up costing more than a high-end cable package?

Streaming’s Rise & Cable’s Enduring Grip

Streaming has transformed how we watch entertainment, offering original content, flexible devices, and freedom from bulky boxes and lengthy contracts. The cord-cutting wave has been real. Yet cable isn’t dead. For many households, cable still holds value via live sports, local news, and bundled services (internet + TV + phone), often with promotional pricing that undercuts the cost of buying multiple streaming services separately. Cable remains attractive as an “all-in-one” option, whereas streaming requires subscriptions, apps, multiple billing cycles, and sometimes extra fees or add-ons for local stations or live coverage.

To understand whether streaming still offers a real savings advantage, we broke down the monthly costs of top-tier cable packages alongside the premium plans from major streaming services.

Cost Comparison: Cable vs. Streaming Bundle

Let’s compare a realistic premium streaming bundle with the top-tier packages offered by cable providers such as Spectrum, Xfinity, Cox, DirecTV, and Verizon.

Cable

For many cable providers, flagship cable plans with all the premium channel add-ons (movie channels, sports, etc.), including equipment and fees, often cost between $100-$165 a month, depending on region. For households in New York City, premium cable isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s still competitive compared to the ballooning cost of streaming bundles. Here’s what the major providers are charging today in the Big Apple for their higher-tier TV plans:

Spectrum TV Platinum: $145/month for the first year, then $165/month once the promotional period ends.
Verizon Fios The Most Fios TV: $139/month.
DirecTV Premier: $119.99 for the first month, then $164.99/month once the promotional period ends.
Xfinity 1.2 Gig: $115/month for five years (prices vary drastivally by the region).
Cox Communications Contour TV Ultimate: $167/month for two years.

These prices don’t include equipment rentals, setup fees, broadcast surcharges, or regional sports fees, which often push the actual bill noticeably higher. The majority of cable providers now try to offset the sticker shock by offering discounted streaming bundles to entice customers.

Streaming Services

Subscribing to every major streaming service at its highest tier quickly adds up, even without live TV. What began as a cheaper, flexible alternative to cable now looks a lot more like a monthly luxury bill. Here’s what the biggest platforms charge for their premium, ad-free plans in 2025:

Netflix Premium: $24.99/month.
HBO Max Premium: $20.99/month.
Disney+ Premium: $15.99/month.
Hulu: $18.99/month.
Apple TV+: $12.99/month.
Paramount+ with Showtime: $12.99/month.
Peacock Premium Plus: $16.99/month.
Amazon Prime Video: $14.99/month.

*Soeren Stache / Picture Alliance via Getty Images*

Subscribing to all of these top-tier plans would run you roughly $140 per month. This estimate doesn’t factor in discounts for annual subscriptions, which many platforms offer.

Live-TV streaming platforms like Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV occupy a lane of their own. Both hover around $75–$95 per month, putting them nearly on par with traditional cable. These services offer live sports, local channels, and DVR storage, the closest thing streaming has to a full cable replacement, but without the cost savings many expected.

Meanwhile, free ad-supported services such as Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel have carved out a surprising share of viewership. They don’t deliver prestige originals or the latest hits, but they do provide a wide range of on-demand movies, classic TV, and even live news and sports at no cost. For budget-conscious viewers, these platforms serve as a reminder that not every screen in the house requires a $15 subscription.

It’s also worth noting that subscribers can find savings through bundles and provider deals. Disney often packages Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ at a discount, while wireless carriers and internet providers like Verizon and T-Mobile sometimes throw in subscriptions or discounts as part of their plans. These offers can ease the sting of rising prices, but only if you’re willing to tie your entertainment budget to another service.

The Bottom Line

The math is clear: If you chase every premium streaming subscription, you’ll likely pay as much, or more, than you would for a top cable package. The difference comes down to choice and convenience.

Streaming offers flexibility, no contracts, and the freedom to curate your own lineup, while cable still wins on simplicity, bundling, and all-in-one access to live sports and local channels. Free services and bundled discounts help soften the blow, but the era of streaming as the obvious budget-friendly option is over. What we’re left with is a fragmented ecosystem that looks more and more like cable every day, only now, the burden of managing it all falls on the subscriber.