Every Streaming Service That Raised Prices in Canada in 2026, and What It Costs Now

Your streaming bill is a frog in slowly boiling water. In 2026, nearly every major service raised prices somewhere, but the map is split: some hikes landed in Canada, others hit the US while Canadians were temporarily spared. With the average Canadian household now paying for nearly three streaming services and ad-free tiers pushing past $20 a month, it's worth knowing exactly what changed, what it costs in Canadian dollars today, and which shoe is likely to drop next.

Key takeaways

• Confirmed 2026 Canadian hikes: Paramount+ (January 15, Essential $7.99→$8.99, Premium $12.99→$13.99) and Apple Music / Apple One (July 17, Music Individual $10.99→$11.99, Family $16.99→$19.99; One Family $28.95→$30.95, Premier $44.95→$46.95).
• Netflix Canada did NOT get the March 2026 US hike: still $7.99 / $18.99 / $23.99 CAD (unchanged since January 2025). The $26.99 figure floating around is the new US Premium price, one Canadian site appears to have mixed them up (Netflix Canada confirmed to press in March 2026 that Canada was spared).
• Apple TV+ Canada is still $14.99 CAD/mo (last raised August 2025); the August 28, 2026 US hike to $14.99 did not follow through in Canada, which already carried that figure in Canadian dollars.
• Ad-supported tiers now save an average of 42% versus ad-free in Canada, e.g., Netflix's $7.99 ads plan vs. $23.99 Premium.
• Pattern to watch: US hikes have repeatedly arrived in Canada months later. The US moves by Netflix (March), Apple TV+ (August) and Disney+/Hulu (September) are the ones to watch.

The hikes that hit Canada in 2026

Paramount+, January 15, 2026

The year's first major hike. Both tiers rose $1/month: Essential (ad-supported) from $7.99 to $8.99, Premium (ad-free) from $12.99 to $13.99. The annual plans took the bigger hit, Essential jumped from $59.99 to $89.99 a year, Premium from $119.99 to $139.99, and free trials were retired entirely. Paramount confirmed the increases would roll out in Canada and Australia alongside the US, and blamed the usual: reinvestment in content (including its new $7.7 billion UFC rights deal) and user experience. This was Paramount+'s third straight year of increases.

Apple Music and Apple One, July 17, 2026

Apple's turn came mid-summer, its first music-price increase since October 2022, blamed on "rising licensing costs":

• Apple Music Individual: $10.99 → $11.99/month
• Apple Music Family: $16.99 → $19.99/month (the biggest jump)
• Apple Music Student: $5.99 (unchanged)
• Apple One Individual: $22.95 (unchanged)
• Apple One Family: $28.95 → $30.95/month
• Apple One Premier: $44.95 → $46.95/month

Notably, even after the hike, Apple Music Individual ($11.99) still undercuts Spotify Premium, which raised its individual plan to $13.99 on May 12, 2026 (from $12.69). The streaming wars have a clear rhythm now: one service moves, the rest follow within months.

The hikes that spared Canada (for now)

Netflix, US hike March 26, 2026

Netflix raised all three US tiers in March: Standard with Ads $7.99→$8.99 US, Standard $17.99→$19.99 US, Premium $24.99→$26.99 US. But a Netflix spokesperson confirmed to Canadian press that Canada was not included, Canadian pricing remains $7.99 (ads), $18.99 (Standard) and $23.99 (Premium) CAD, in place since January 2025. This is the source of the $23.99-vs-$26.99 confusion: $26.99 is the American Premium price. If you see a Canadian site listing $26.99 CAD, it's almost certainly conflating the two, check your Netflix account page for the real number.

The catch: Netflix has a long habit of raising Canada a few months after the US. "Spared for now" is the operative phrase.

Apple TV+, US hike August 28, 2026

Apple raised Apple TV+ in the US from $12.99 to $14.99 US (annual $99→$119 US), the fourth hike in four years, tripling the $4.99 launch price. Canada, however, is still at $14.99 CAD/month, set in August 2025. At current exchange rates the Canadian plan is meaningfully cheaper than the new US price, which is exactly why analysts expect Canada to follow, as it did in August 2025.

Disney+ and Hulu, US hike September 2026

Disney raised Disney+ and Hulu ad-free plans in the US to $21.49/month in late September 2026, its fourth straight year of increases. Canada's last Disney+ move was November 2025 (Standard with Ads $8.99, Standard $15.99, Premium $16.99 CAD). No Canadian increase has been announced for this round, but the pattern is unmistakable.

Prime Video, US ad-free tier, March 2026

Amazon raised the US Prime Video ad-free add-on from $2.99 to $4.99/month on top of Prime (rebranded Prime Video Ultra, US-only). In Canada the ad-free add-on remains $2.99 CAD/month.

The full Canadian price board (October 2026)

Current monthly prices in CAD, ad-free tiers unless noted:

Notes: Crave Premium at $22/month is now Canada's priciest mainstream video tier. Prices exclude GST/HST/PST, which most services add at checkout. Annual plans (where offered) cut the effective monthly rate, Paramount+ Premium annual works out to about $11.67/month versus $13.99 monthly.

Are ad-supported plans worth it?

This is the industry's pressure valve, and the math increasingly says yes. Convergence Research's annual Couch Potato Report found ad-supported tiers save an average of 42% compared with ad-free in Canada, and Canadians are migrating: ad tiers are the fastest-growing segment even as 48.5% of households have now cut cable entirely.

The savings are concrete:

• Netflix: $7.99 with ads vs. $23.99 Premium, a 67% saving, $192/year.
• Disney+: $8.99 with ads vs. $16.99 Premium, 47% saving.
• Paramount+: $8.99 Essential vs. $13.99 Premium, 36% saving.

The trade-offs: ads (typically ~4 minutes per hour), no downloads on some services' ad tiers, and occasionally a slightly reduced catalogue. For background viewing, kids' content and casual watching, the ad tier is the rational default. Reserve ad-free for the one service you watch most, and rotate the rest. (If you're deciding what to watch this month, our guides to new on Netflix Canada this October and best Halloween horror streaming in Canada can help you get value from the subscriptions you keep.)

Is Netflix raising prices in Canada next?

Probably, eventually. The evidence: Netflix raised Canada in January 2025 alongside other markets, then raised the US alone in March 2026 while explicitly saying Canada was spared "at this time." Every prior US-only Netflix hike has eventually crossed the border. There's no announced date and no leaked timeline, so don't pay for a higher tier today out of fear, but when you see the US move first, start your countdown. The same logic applies to Apple TV+ and Disney+.

Practical next steps

• Audit right now: list every subscription, its tier and its renewal date. The average household's "nearly three services" often turns out to be five once you count the forgotten ones.
• Downgrade before you cancel: the ad tier keeps the content at 36–67% off. Most services let you switch tiers mid-cycle.
• Go annual on keepers: if you'll keep Paramount+ or Crave all year, annual billing beats monthly by 15–25%.
• Rotate, don't stack: subscribe for a month, binge, cancel, move on. Nothing in the streaming contracts prevents it.
• Check bundles: Apple One, telecom bundles (Rogers, Bell and TELUS all bundle streamers) and annual plans can undercut standalone pricing.

The bottom line

2026's Canadian streaming scorecard: Paramount+ and Apple Music/Apple One got more expensive; Netflix, Apple TV+ and Disney+ raised prices in the US but left Canada alone, so far. The $23.99 Netflix Premium price is correct for Canada; $26.99 is the US number. With ad tiers saving 42% on average and annual plans cutting 15–25%, the smart money isn't on cancelling everything, it's on paying for fewer ad-free tiers and rotating the rest. And when the next US hike lands, start your Canadian countdown.

Sources

• ComingSoon, Paramount+ Price Increases & Date Revealed (November 2025)
• Clark.com, Paramount+ Announces Pricing Changes for 2026
• iPhone in Canada, Apple Music and Apple One Monthly Prices Just Went Up in Canada (July 17, 2026)
• MobileSyrup, Apple Music and Apple One just got more expensive in Canada (July 17, 2026)
• iPhone in Canada, Netflix Hikes Streaming Prices in the USA but Canada Spared for Now (March 26, 2026)
• MobileSyrup, Netflix confirms Canada not part of new U.S. price increase (March 26, 2026)
• iPhone in Canada, Apple TV Jacks Up Prices Again. Canada Next? (August 28, 2026)
• iPhone in Canada, The Death of Cable? Nearly 50% of Canadians Have Now Cut the Cord (March 2026)
• MoneySense, The best paid and free streaming services in Canada for 2026
• TheStreamable, Streaming service price tracker
• Nerdist, Every Streaming Cost Increase In 2026