Netflix clearly isn’t done making you pay. Should we really expect another price increase? New information has just come out, you won’t like it.
It’s impossible to miss SVOD platforms, they are now absolutely everywhere and most of us spend hours there watching films and series. Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and many others are jostling for a place at the top, but apart from this top three, few have as much importance, even if many other similar services exist. That said, if this continues, users could well end up changing creameries to see if the grass is greener elsewhere. The reason ? A hyper aggressive policy of increasing prices which does not seem to want to stop.
Netflix isn’t done making you pay yet
Yes, the big names in SVOD continue to increase their prices and fight against account sharing. Disney+ is starting to roll back its measures, even if it means severely punishing users who dare to share their account, and its subscriptions will soon welcome a new formula with advertisements in addition to increasing prices. Historically, in everyone’s eyes anyway, it was Netflix, certainly the most famous streaming platform, which launched the hostilities. The company with the red N has already increased its prices several times since its launch. And even if its offer expands every year, every month even, users are seriously starting to cringe.
While its anti-account sharing policy has worked and allowed it to increase its subscriber capital by a few million, and its advertising offering is working, Netflix is reportedly discussing strategy internally. And when we say strategy, we are mainly talking about price increases, again. We get this information from the very serious Wall Street Journal which, after investigating its anonymous sources, tells us that Netflix has plans regarding a new price increase for its ad-free subscriptions only. At this rate, having an ad-free subscription will become a real luxury. Even though it released the information, the Wall Street Journal cannot confirm when the increases will fall or by how much prices will increase. Please note, however, that nothing should be put in place before the definitive end of the actors’ strike.
A policy that’s a little too aggressive?
Although these SVOD services are ultimately very interesting given the number of programs available, the drastic increases are starting a little (a lot?) to exhaust subscribers who are seriously starting to get fed up. Even if Netflix and other services of its kind are not vital, they are still very anchored in our daily lives, casually, and it is difficult for many to do without their favorite films and series. Such price increases without significant change to the user experience or content in general are therefore very frowned upon. No one really likes to pay more and more anyway. Currently, Netflix already offers four different subscriptions:
- A subscription with advertising at €5.99/month: 1 screen in HD quality (1080p) with a few minutes of advertising each hour.
- An Essential offer at a price of €8.99/month: 1 screen in HD quality (720p), no advertising
- A Netflix Standard subscription at €13.49/month: 2 screens in HD (1080p), no advertising
- A Premium offer priced at €17.99/month: 4 screens, 1080p, 4K, HDR, no advertising
With an increase, even of just one or two euros, the premium offer would approach or even reach €20 per month. While the lowest formula in the category without advertising would cross the €10 mark. It’s starting to hurt the wallet especially since, so far, nothing new has been announced.