Netflix plans to raise prices again despite record subscriber numbers
Summary
- Netflix is increasing prices for all subscription tiers, including the ad-supported plan.
- The ad-supported tier now costs $7.99/month, the same price as the full experience a decade ago.
- Standard tier will jump to $17.99/month and the premium tier will cost $24.99/month.
Netflix is doing Netflix things again. There’s another round of price hikes incoming across all of its plans, effective with the next billing cycle. This includes the ad-supported tier.
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The changes come as the company reports its largest quarterly subscriber growth to date (via The Verge). The streaming behemoth announced in a letter to shareholders that it had added 19 million new subscribers in Q4 2024, bringing its total to 300 million viewers. It then announced a price increase in the USA, Canada, Portugal, and Argentina.
The ad-supported tier is now as much as the OG Netflix
This is the first price hike for Netflix’s ad-supported plan, introduced in 2022. It goes up from $6.99 to $7.99 a month, which makes it the same price as the full Netflix experience a decade ago. A monthly subscription cost $7.99 per month in 2013. There were no tiers. Just one flat fee for great ad-free content.
The other tiers are also going up in price. Here’s how much you will pay:
- Ad-supported tier: $7.99/month (from $6.99).
- Standard tier: $17.99/month (from $15.99).
- Premium tier: $24.99 (from $22.99).
Netflix says the price increase will help fund continued investments in original programming, and announced the return of some fan favorites like Stranger Things and Wednesday.
“We occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can reinvest to further improve Netflix,” the company noted in its investor letter. A little more indeed.
New features and live content
Just in case the Netflix tier list wasn’t confusing enough, the company is adding another one. The Extra Member with Ads plan will let ad-supported subscribers add someone outside their household for an additional $7.99 per month. This coincides with the Netflix’s expanding focus on live sports, like NFL games and Mike Tyson fights. High profile special events, like the recent Mariah Carey concert, also drew significant viewership.
Netflix is surely facing stiff competition from Disney+, Hulu, Prime, and Paramount+, among others. As one X user posted, we don’t have any more money.
Alternatives
to pricey streaming services are looking better each day.
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