Crave tells subscribers they'll need to fork out $2 more per month to avoid ads

The Crave app is seen on a phone in Toronto on Thursday, February 7, 2019.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

Avoiding commercials on the Crave streaming service is about to get a little costlier.

Bell Media has told Crave subscribers who use its "premium ad-free" package that they'll now have to pay $22 per month -- an increase of $2.01.

The change affects only the most expensive subscription tier that gives viewers commercial-free access to a library of on-demand programming, as well as feeds of Crave's live TV channels.

A representative for Bell Media says users of Crave's "standard with ads" subscription will continue to pay $14.99. Its "basic with ads" plan will stay at $9.99 a month.

The move comes as streaming services seek new ways to squeeze more revenue out of their subscribers.

All of the major streaming TV platforms have recently raised prices. Most have also introduced packages for viewers willing to sit through commercial breaks filled with sponsors in exchange for paying a bit less.

Last year, Crave followed the lead of Netflix and Disney Plus, who both launched "opt-in" ad tiers that required subscribers to choose to downgrade.

Amazon's Prime Video will take a different approach next month in Canada when it adds commercials to programming for all customers, with an "opt-out" option for viewers who want to escape the ads.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2024.

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