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Netflix users will now start to pay more than they ever have before for monthly access to the streaming service as the company is now in the process of increasing the prices of its varying plans.
Depending on whether an individual is an existing customer or not will affect when the price increase shows up, although all Netflix users in the US will be subject to the increase.
Those opting for the entry-level “Basic” plan will see the price rise from $7.99 per month to $8.99. Those on the “Premium” plan will start to pay $15.99 per month instead of $13.99, while those on the “Standard” plan can now expect to pay $12.99 per month compared to $10.99.
Most Netflix subscribers in the US are on the Standard plan and therefore most will be subjected to the higher $2 per month price increase.
The Standard plan offers access to Netflix on two screens simultaneously, but does not provide access to any Ultra HD content. Compared to the Premium option which not only allows UHD access but also ups the simultaneous screen count to four. The Basic plan will continue to offer access to only one feed at a time and will remain resigned to an SD quality.
The new price increase is already in effect on the company’s website and therefore customers looking to sign up to the service today will immediately encounter the heightened prices.
Existing customers can expect to see the change take effect within the coming weeks and presumably determined by bill cycle date.
Netflix does not often increase its prices although those increases are now starting to come through on a somewhat regular basis considering this 2019 price increase followed one in 2017 which in turn followed another in 2015.
As part of the previous 2017 increase, prices rose by a similar $1 and $2 level, depending on the plan. Although compared to this current increase, the 2017 increase did not affect those on the Basic plan. Instead, prices rose for the Standard plan by $1 up to to $10.99, with the Premium plan’s price upped by $2 to $13.99.
This time around the increase affects all users of the service based in the US.
One of the suggestions for the increase is simply to help Netflix further fund its own originally programming. This has become a significant priority for the steaming service of late and has resulted in the release of a number of high profile movies and shows coming through, including Bird Box, Stranger Things, and You, as well as older and longer-running entities, such as House of Cards.
It remains to be seen how well the price increase will be received by current subscribers although what is clear is the price of the service is starting to rise to a notably level with even the most basic and affordable option now inching closer to the $10 marker.
Cord cutting has resulted in a number of live and on-demand TV services coming through in recent years with prices starting as low as $25 per month. That baseline live TV package is now less than $10 more than the most expensive Netflix price plan. That’s also only $12 more now than the plan most American Netflix subscribers are currently signed up to.