How streaming has gotten more expensive for consumers

More than half of those (53%) who pay for streaming services spend at least $20 a month on their subscriptions, according to a Nielsen study.

Why it matters: Streaming is becoming more and more expensive for media giants, and consolidation is coming.

• Warner Bros. Discovery's creation adds a third streaming giant alongside Disney and Netflix.
• That will only increase speculation that others like Peacock and Paramount+ will have to find ways to scale, or even merge.

By the numbers: 58% of those who subscribe to any streaming service pay for three or more services, compared to 32% who paid for that many in 2019.

• 17% of subscribers have at least five streaming services.

What's next: Warner Bros. Discovery will at some point merge HBO Max, Discovery+ and CNN+ into one offering that features multiple tiers.

• More services like Disney+ are adding cheaper subscriptions that will include advertisements.
• There is a growing belief from analysts and even some in the industry that Netflix will introduce an ad-supported option.