This week, Amazon has been excitedly sending out emails to customers in India, informing them about the upcoming changes to their existing Prime subscriptions. In Amazon language, this usually means only one thing – you will be invited to pay more for another membership level. And yes, that was the case. Search for something called Amazon Music Unlimited. It’s a symbol of the times we’re in, how far we’ve come from the promises that streaming platforms made all those years ago. Cost-effective, convenient and everything else you need to have will resist the urge to give up your cable TV or direct-to-home (DTH) subscription. That value-for-money buffet has now closed permanently.
Many are called, but few are chosen. Look closely, and you’ll realize that’s the situation – you can flex with most streaming subscriptions, but very few are truly good. If we want to tackle it from a sports lens, you have JioHotstar for cricket and football, in addition to the collection of HBO Max and Paramount+. There’s Sony Liv for European football. Soon, you will probably add ZEE5 as the broadcast rights of FIFA World Cup 2026 for India have been saved by Zee. FanCode or F1 TV, for all us Formula 1 fans. And Apple TV+, if Major League Soccer is your thing.
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Two things come to the fore. First, the aggressive customer-acquisition phase has seamlessly transitioned into an equally aggressive monetization phase. Second, amid hidden price increases, advertisements have been forced into what were once top-tier paid plans, giving rise to even more top-tier plans. Your digital monthly bill has probably increased without you even realizing it.
In its latest analysis of India’s streaming landscape, Research & Markets estimates that the video streaming market, which was valued at $8.94 billion in 2024, is expected to reach $23.88 billion by 2030. What used to be all-inclusive (as was Amazon Prime in particular) is no longer. The question is, how do you rebuild your entertainment and sports bundle?
The above illustration offers only a cursory sports perspective. And I haven’t considered regional language-centric streaming platforms yet. For most English speakers, I believe Netflix will probably offer the best value in terms of movies and TV show content, followed by JioHotstar. If we did everything as we should, the cost for the top tier package for each would be something like this- ₹Rs 7,788 annually for Netflix, ₹Rs 2,198 for Amazon Prime with obnoxious ad-free add-ons. ₹Rs 2,199 for JioHotstar, ₹Rs 1,499 more for Sony Liv ₹Rs 1,499 per year for FanCode Unlimited Livestream Pass. I am not considering the costs of Zee5, but the expectations are current ₹The membership tier will see inflation to $1,199 per year to unlock access to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches.
Judging by this cursory snapshot, you’re paying a lot ₹12,000 per year. That is not a small amount.
Let me return to the first Amazon reference for a moment. The company now says that the Amazon Music tier you access with an existing Prime subscription will now have ads between streaming playlists and songs, and without offline downloads. You have to pay, and as per the utility demand, ₹99 more per month for something called Amazon Music Unlimited to get offline downloads and ad-free streaming in high quality. In a world where Apple Music has… ₹Rs 119 per month plan (or ₹Rs 179 per month for a family of five) with lossless music, YouTube Premium subscription ( ₹149 per month) which includes YouTube Music, and Spotify ( ₹139 per month), anyone who is thinking straight should not subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited.
Speaking of rebuilding the bundle, I’d say switch back to live TV channels for sports if it’s an option. Subscribing to sports channels on DTH connection is still a cost-effective option.
Separate platforms and subscriptions that provide true lifestyle value from those that simply provide content. For example, Amazon Prime remains a highly cost-effective option ₹Rs 1,499 per year if you regularly use its fast free shipping and other shopping benefits. Look at the video component as a secondary benefit, and you’ll get the answer. For example, if Flipkart is your main online shopping destination, and PhonePe or Google Pay or CRED is your primary bill payment destination, then you don’t really need any Prime subscription.
Secondly, pick and choose. If the cost is proving to be high. If your primary viewing on Sony Liv or JioHotstar is sports, subscribe on a monthly basis instead of yearly, and skip it when there is no live match. For example, as I write this, Premier League fans don’t need JioHotstar in the bundle, nor do you need Sony Liv because the Champions League is over.
If streaming platforms are going to be secretly smart (downgrading bundled benefits midstream, no one is naive enough to not notice this behavior), then you should be one step ahead.
Vishal Mathur is Technology Editor at HT. Tech Tonic is a weekly column that looks at the impact of personal technology on the way we live our lives, and vice versa. The views expressed are personal.
