The combined cost of popular streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus is now more expensive than traditional cable television, according to new analysis. Recent price rises to all of the main streaming platforms for ad-free subscriptions have pushed the cost above the average cable TV package of $83 per month for the first time. Calculations by the Financial Times found that a bundle of the top US streaming services – including Disney+, Hulu, Netflix and Peacock – rose in price from $73 to $87 over the last year. Some of the price rises of streaming services have been considerable, going way above the rate of inflation. Netflix raised the price of its basic advertisement-free monthly subscription from $9.99 to $15.49, representing a 55 per cent increase. Disney Plus saw an even bigger increase for its ad-free subscription price, nearly doubling from $7.99 per month to $13.99. “From a business point of view, streaming was going to have to move in this way – the price point was going to have to go up,” David Rogers, a professor at Columbia Business School and expert in digital business, told the FT. “This was accelerated by the fact that we no longer have cheap debt to flood the market with streaming content.” These rising costs, combined with an increasingly fractured streaming ecosystem, have helped contribute to a major surge in online piracy over the last year. Figures published earlier this year by research firm Muso revealed that the most popular form of piracy is websites that host free streams of films and TV series, which account for 80 per cent of all illegal content consumption. Visits to these sites rose by nearly 9 per cent last year, with early data suggesting that this trend will continue into 2023. Several illicit streaming sites offer similar functionality to the legitimate platforms like Netflix, however they typically do not have any restrictions on the content you can watch. Security experts have warned, however, that such sites may pose a risk to visitors, while links shared on social media sites can often lead to fake versions of these illicit sites that seek to steal financial and other sensitive data. Read More Free streams to watch Barbie spread online amid security warnings Hozier would consider striking over AI threat to music industry Google is getting ready for the ‘quantum apocalypse’ X now sorts posts on accounts based on number of likes, not by chronology

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In recent years, the popularity of true crime documentaries has absolutely soared but now psychologists are warning that watching them to relax is a huge red flag. Thanks to streaming sites like Netflix, true crime documentaries have become a genre in and of themselves, but one expert has argued that watching them in order to fall asleep could be a sign of the harmful ways a person processes trauma. Doctor Thema Bryant explained how watching true crime for comfort because the trauma feels “familiar” is a sign that you may benefit from counselling. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Speaking on The Mel Robbins Podcast, Dr Bryant said: “If your idea of relaxing before you go to sleep is to watch three episodes of Law and Order, [then] I would encourage you to think about 'why is trauma relaxing to me?' “That's what it is. Harm, crime, violation, attacks, and that's what is going to soothe me into my bedtime.” @melrobbins If your idea of “relaxing” before bed is watching a few episodes of Law & Order (or any other #truecrime show), listen up. This was just ONE of the many incredible mic drop moments ? and knowledge bombs ? that @Dr Thema Bryant drops on the #melrobbinspodcast. Listen now!! ? “6 Signs You’re Disconnected From Your Power and How to Get It Back: Life-Changing Advice From the Remarkable Dr. Thema Bryant” ? in bio #melrobbins #podcast #trauma #traumatok #healing #bingewatching Dr Bryant explained that people often discuss their love of true crime in therapy with her and argued many people find it “normal and familiar”. She went on: “Some of us grew up in high-stress [situations], so people mistake peace for boring. And it's like, to come home to yourself, you have to lean into the discomfort because it’s going to feel unfamiliar.” In response to the podcast clip shared on TikTok, many reflected on their own relationship with this kind of television. One person wrote: “Wow that is exactly what I watch to relax. This was so enlightening.” Another argued: “The trauma isn't relaxing to me – it's the justice the characters/real people often get that I never did in my own life.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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