The unfortunately inevitable has arrived: Netflix israising its prices(in the US and Canada, for now).
Here’s the TL;DR in the US:
In Canada, Standard planswill now cost $16.49 CAD (up from $14.99 CAD) and premium plans will cost $20.99 CAD (up from $18.99) — basic plans remain the same up north.
The prices are effective immediately for new subscribers, while for existing ones it’ll roll out gradually as they begin their next billing cycles.
Calling all Scaleup founders! Join the Soonicorn Summit on November 28 in Amsterdam.
Meet with the leaders of Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to Scaleup Founders!
Sighs.
Paying $1-2 bucks more a month may not seem like much, but keep in mind it’s Netflix’ssixthstreaming price hike for US customers since 2014. Back then, the Standard Plan cost just $7.99, which the Premium Plan was $11.99, so prices have virtually doubled. For the record, the dollar has only inflated about 18% since 2014.
I know making all that original content costs a lot of money, but I can’t help but feel Netflix is also taking advantage of its position as a market leader.
It sucks for streaming fans. The thing is, back in 2014, not only was Netflix a lot cheaper, but it was also the only streaming service TV aficionados really needed (yes, I know nobodyneedsto watch TV). I could find almost anything I wanted to binge on just Netflix and maybe another service or two (Hulu and Crunchyroll, in my case).
Compare that to the streaming market in 2022. There’s Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Discovery+, and countless other smaller services I’m forgetting. Of course, you don’t need to be subscribed to all of them, but frankly, it’s a pain to keep track of what show is on which platform, especially as licensing deals are shifting about all the time.
Obviously, it’s not Netflix’s fault that everyone wants to get in on the streaming action, but I don’t think the company can justify raising its prices almost every year as the competition ramps up. Netflix may have much more original content than ever now, but it feels like I’m getting less of what I actually want to watch for my money.
Oh well, I guess there are always books.
Story byNapier Lopez
Napier Lopez is a writer based in New York City. He’s interested in all things tech, science, and photography related, and likes to yo-yo in(show all)Napier Lopez is a writer based in New York City. He’s interested in all things tech, science, and photography related, and likes to yo-yo in his free time. Follow himon Twitter.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
