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Whether you pay for internet, cable TV, streaming services, or all of the above, the costs just feel like they keep getting higher and higher. Well, it's not just you. New analysis from J.D. Power shows that prices in general have been creeping up.
For its new report "Average TV and Wired Internet Bills Rise in Q1, Unbundled Wireless Internet Costs Fall," J.D. Power breaks down the ups and downs of such monthly subscriptions. Focusing on providers of cable TV, streaming services, and internet and wireless coverage, the firm tracked the average prices that US consumers have been paying in 2025 compared with last year.
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The average amount that people pay for a monthly cable or satellite TV bundle was $187.99 through January 2025. That number is $7.69 more than the average price at the end of last October and $1.66 more than for January of 2024.
The average monthly price for unbundled cable or satellite TV was $121.86 through this past January, up from $120.93 in October 2024. On the slightly brighter side, the average monthly streaming bill was $73.47 in January, up only 38 cents from October 2024 and down $1.05 from January 2024.
The average amount of money that people pay for a monthly wired internet bundle was $170.06 through February 2025. That's only 92 cents more than the cost at the end of November 2024, but $7.93 more than in February 2024. Next, the average monthly cost for unbundled wired internet was $83.35 through February 2025, up from $82.96 in November 2024.
There were a couple of bright spots. The average monthly wireless internet bundle cost $145.40 in February 2025, up only 19 cents from November 2024 and down a full $12.85 from February 2024. Finally, the average monthly cost for unbundled wireless internet was $71.53 in February 2025, down from $73.64 in November 2024 and up only slightly from $71.45 in February 2025.
Let's face it: We live in a subscription-based society. Virtually everything seems to require a subscription, from TV to internet to streaming to mobile plans to apps to software to podcasts, and more. The move away from all-you-can-eat cable TV bundles to individual streaming services for every TV show you want to watch has also added to the sticker shock. And all these pricey subscriptions eat into your overall monthly budget, often causing you to spend more than you realize.
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"Monthly cable, internet and wireless bills have come to occupy a significant share of consumers' recurring household expenses, so any incremental movements on a quarterly or annualized basis can have a material effect on not only their overall satisfaction with their service providers, but also their purchasing power," J.D. Power said in its report.
The trick is to actually sit down and tally all your monthly and annual subscriptions. You can then figure out which ones to eliminate, reduce, or change. Budgeting apps can often help you with this process. The right time to start is now, before you pay for your next monthly set of bills.
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