Netflix today announced that it will raise the prices for all of its subscription tiers, the latest price hike since November 2017. Specifically, the cheap "Basic" tier will rise from $8 to $9/month, the popular HD "Standard" tier will rise from $11 to $13/month, and the 4K "Premium" tier will rise from $14 to $16/month.

netflix november 2018
According to CNBC, the changes take effect immediately for new customers signing up for Netflix, while current subscribers will be grandfathered in to their existing prices for now, and see the price hike emerge over the next three months. The increase represents a jump of between 13 percent and 18 percent, which is Netflix's biggest price increase since it launched streaming 12 years ago.

Today's report says that the extra cash will be used to pay for Netflix's lofty investment in original shows and films, as well as finance the debt it's recently taken on to "ward off streaming threats" from Apple, Disney, and others.

Netflix is boosting its original catalog of shows and movies as more companies remove their content from its service and build their own platforms, just like Disney will do with Marvel and Star Wars movies sometime this year. After they're removed from Netflix for good, Disney's streaming service "Disney+" will be the exclusive streaming home of these franchises.

Netflix is also gearing up for new competition in the streaming market, particularly from Apple's upcoming original television shows. Apple is planning to debut its first string of shows at some point in 2019, and they'll reportedly be free for Apple device owners in the company's TV app, likely taking some streaming time away from Netflix for users who stream on Apple TV.

In total, this is the fourth price hike for Netflix subscribers in the streaming service's history. The HD Standard tier was priced at $10/month in 2017 before it rose to $11/month in November of that year, and now it will be priced at $13/month.

During one of the first price hikes in 2016, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings noted that the company saw an "unexpected" loss of subscribers when raising the Standard tier from $8 to $10/month. "Whatever the price is for something, people don't like for it to go up," Hastings admitted at the time.

Tag: Netflix

Top Rated Comments

ThatGuyInLa Avatar
55 months ago
THIS is what will save cable. All these content providers are bailing on Netflix. Making their own services. This is going to back fire and push people back to a single all inclusive provider. Like cable. Whether it be a streamer version(most likely) or the old box. The majority are not going to pay $8 and $10 or more a month for each network/studio’s content. That’s ridiculous. Imagine shelling out $50 a month for just five networks plus your internet provider. Now you’re doing this while making $13 an hour.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
atikalz Avatar
55 months ago
The Tim Cook Way: constantly raise the price until your customers walk away. Bye bye!
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
td2243 Avatar
55 months ago
I do 2-3 months on, then 2-3 months off. Saves money and when I come back there’s a new batch of content to watch. I’ve been doing that for over a year.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BJMRamage Avatar
55 months ago
I guess Bird Box didn't do as well as everyone thought.
I would think the opposite. it worked so well, netflix thinks it can raise prices and everybody will be all "I can't wait to see the next Bird Box...let me pay Netflix more $$"
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RowellE Avatar
55 months ago
Still worth it. They’ve been releasing some really good stuff lately. Plus it seems like everyday they’re announcing the release of a new movie or TV show.

They have great licensed content (for now, until all their respective owners start their own streaming service) and they have really good originals as well.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BJMRamage Avatar
55 months ago
This is one of my biggest issues with Netflix, it's too much for me. I just found out about Apostle last week (starring Dan Stevens), and it sounds so insanely up my alley, but I had never even heard of it because it was just immediately buried after it released.

Unless it's a major series I'm obsessed with, I also tend to forget about Netflix shows I'm watching since it doesn't integrate into the TV app on Apple TV. I really, really hope they change their mind on that.
I can't stand the UX of Netflix. I HATE the immediate pop-up trailer. I prefer to read a synopsis (maybe I am old, I get it) and can quickly read a bunch and move on. but as I stop to look at a thumbnail, then it widens [I lose my place] and a trailer starts to show....or I am going through and pause on a thumbnail, not to look at that specific trailer but just to read all the others.

finding content is a lost art. it seems way too many content providers wish to "MATCH" you to content. and many times, on Netflix it has sucked. "oh you liked a comedy sitcom about parents and a kid...we think you will like a somber movie with a kid in it...that is awful but we want to raise our % numbers"
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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