Why costs for streaming keep rising

There is an analysis about the increasing costs of streaming services over on The Streaming Advisor.

Ryan Downey wrote his column after the recent announcement by YouTube TV of a price increase. I think he's on to something:

This has always been the issue with pay TV services since cable TV first hit the scene. If a service offers more content options it has to charge the customer more. But if it doesn’t offer certain content options customers may decide to jump to another service to get it. The problem is that the competition has not led to innovative pricing. It has caused them to balloon. That is because the channel owners demand what they consider fair fees for the content.

I don't disagree with Mr. Downey. Prices go up all the time. More competition usually leads to lower prices, but I think there is more to it than that.

A lot of things have gone up by a surprising amount in the last three years. I think that as a result, we are more accepting of price increases as a result. We're simply going along with it. They are raising the prices, not because they need to (though it may figure into it) but because they can.

The financial policies of the country have created an environment that is not consumer friendly. As a result, every aspect of your life, including your Streaming Life, has suffered.