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Netflix Raises Prices (Again): Ditching Ads Will Cost at Least $18 Per Month
The company is also raising prices for the ad-supported Netflix, the premium tier, and the cost for adding an extra member to an existing plan.
A new year, a new Netflix price hike: The streaming service will start asking US customers to pay even more across every plan.
According to a Netflix spokesperson, the company’s ad-based plan will now cost $7.99 per month, up from $6.99. In addition, the standard plan is increasing to $17.99, a bump up from $15.49. Those on the premium plan can expect to pay $24.99, an increase from $22.99.
Sharing a Netflix account will also cost more. The company’s “extra member” add-on, which is available on the Standard and Premium plans, is now $8.99 per month for up to two people, up from $7.99 per month per extra member.
“We will start notifying members beginning January 21 via email and the price change will go into effect for a members’ next billing cycle,” the company told PCMag. “If you’re a new member signing up on January 21, you will already see the new pricing.”
The company announced the price increases even as Netflix added a record 19 million subscribers in Q4, with nearly 5 million of those based in North America.
In justifying the news, Netflix merely said in a shareholder’s letter: “As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix. To that end, we are adjusting prices today across most plans in the US, Canada, Portugal, and Argentina.”
The last time Netflix increased its prices was in October 2023 when pricing for the premium plan jumped to $22.99 per month, up from $19.99. A year ago, the company also phased out the basic plan, which cost $11.99, but rendered the video at 720p. Instead, affected subscribers were forced to pay for the pricier standard plan or migrate to the ad-supported tier.
In its shareholder's letter, Netflix also noted: "With over 300M paid memberships (which excludes Extra Member accounts) and multiple people per household, we’re entertaining a massive global audience estimated at over 700M."
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/news/netflix-raises-prices-again-ditching-ads-will-cost-at-least-18-per-month