'Small leaks sink big ships': CA says OTT subscriptions are silently draining your wealth. Here's how
The CA took to X to break down the monthly and yearly costs incurred on subscriptions of commonly used OTT platforms. Read on for more
- Sep 12, 2025,
- Updated Sep 12, 2025 12:41 PM IST
As watching movies in theatres costs a fortune nowadays, streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Jio Hotstar have become a means of entertainment for many people. But the costs associated with these OTT platforms are silently draining your wealth, as per CA Nitin Kaushik.
Kaushik took to X (formerly Twitter) to break down the monthly and yearly costs incurred on subscriptions of commonly used OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar, and Spotify.
After some number crunching, CA Kaushik found that the monthly subscriptions for Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar, and Spotify cost ₹650, ₹299, ₹299, and ₹599, respectively. With this, the total monthly costs of OTT subscriptions stand at ₹1,850, whereas the annual cost is around ₹22,000.
He added that while these costs look harmless, they total to around ₹2.2 lakh over a period of 10 years and would amount to over ₹4.3 lakh if invested at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12 per cent.
He said that while OTT feels cheap on its own, it is a compounding drain on your wealth when bundled together. "Lesson: Track subscriptions like you track investments. Small leaks sink big ships."
Subscribing to 5-6 of the most popular apps can easily cost ₹13,000-₹15,000 per year or more than ₹1,200 per month. As users feel the pinch of rising OTT subscription prices in 2025, telecom and broadband giants like Jio, Airtel and Tata Play offer premium OTT subscriptions directly into their fibre plans.
These bundles include 10-20 streaming apps, high-speed Wi-Fi and live TV channels at less than the price of one Netflix Premium subscription. Even though the savings are real, Netflix and Amazon Prime are not always included in the cheapest bundles. Jio and Airtel, for instance, offer Hotstar, SonyLIV and Zee5 at ₹599 but Netflix usually comes in higher-tier plans only.
As watching movies in theatres costs a fortune nowadays, streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Jio Hotstar have become a means of entertainment for many people. But the costs associated with these OTT platforms are silently draining your wealth, as per CA Nitin Kaushik.
Kaushik took to X (formerly Twitter) to break down the monthly and yearly costs incurred on subscriptions of commonly used OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar, and Spotify.
After some number crunching, CA Kaushik found that the monthly subscriptions for Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar, and Spotify cost ₹650, ₹299, ₹299, and ₹599, respectively. With this, the total monthly costs of OTT subscriptions stand at ₹1,850, whereas the annual cost is around ₹22,000.
He added that while these costs look harmless, they total to around ₹2.2 lakh over a period of 10 years and would amount to over ₹4.3 lakh if invested at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12 per cent.
He said that while OTT feels cheap on its own, it is a compounding drain on your wealth when bundled together. "Lesson: Track subscriptions like you track investments. Small leaks sink big ships."
Subscribing to 5-6 of the most popular apps can easily cost ₹13,000-₹15,000 per year or more than ₹1,200 per month. As users feel the pinch of rising OTT subscription prices in 2025, telecom and broadband giants like Jio, Airtel and Tata Play offer premium OTT subscriptions directly into their fibre plans.
These bundles include 10-20 streaming apps, high-speed Wi-Fi and live TV channels at less than the price of one Netflix Premium subscription. Even though the savings are real, Netflix and Amazon Prime are not always included in the cheapest bundles. Jio and Airtel, for instance, offer Hotstar, SonyLIV and Zee5 at ₹599 but Netflix usually comes in higher-tier plans only.