IB now charging $120 per month per ICE market starting next year, so thats a 28% increase from the current $97. TF/Russell 2000 futures going to CME in 2017. Looking forward to that, unless CME decide to start screwing retail accounts for data charges as well.
OT: Hopefully for equities we see IEX and perhaps BATS (what happened to their plans?) becoming an exchange, that would be a good market with 4 players.
You're going to love what CME does to the Russell - the cross-arb HFT nonsense from ES and NQ will be simply divine (yes, I'm being sarcastic). Expect TF to change behavior. As far as ICE's current data charges - yes it's a bit heavy handed and ridiculous. Atleast give multiple tiers to people, particularly us who have data connections to ICE IPE, ICEEU Liffe, and ICE US.
$1500/year is absurd, for a 1-lot passive buyer of TF it amounts to 1.5% a year on the notional value! Doesn't ICE realize they are destroying their own markets by excluding retail, you can't maintain an ecosystem if all you're left with are arbs and HFT's. PS - Has anyone seen an official 2016 notification from ICE?