Netflix pushes up Standard & Premium prices in second major hike [u]
Netflix on Tuesday announced higher prices for its Standard and Premium tiers, potentially putting the loyalty of its viewers to the test. [Corrected Basic pricing info]
One of the more critically popular shows on Netflix, 'Mindhunter.'
The Standard plan has risen from $10.99 to $12.99, while Premium has jumped from $13.99 to $15.99. Standard customers can stream or cache videos to two devices at the same time in HD -- Premium offers 4K resolution, and expands the device limit to four. The Basic tier is up from $7.99 to $8.99 and limits people to a single SD stream.
Netflix last raised its prices in October 2017, hiking Standard up from $9.99 and Premium from $11.99.
The company presumably wants the money to pay off massive debts created by billions in content spending. While shows like "Daredevil," "House of Cards," and "Stranger Things" have helped build subscribers and fend off competition from the likes of Hulu and HBO Now, critics have accused the company of throwing sludge at the wall, hoping a few titles stick. Even viewers have complained that there are so many Netflix Originals that it can be hard to find quality material.
Debts may also explain Netflix's decision to end in-app subscriptions for iPhone and iPad users. Apple normally claims a 30 percent cut from all in-app transactions, regardless of whether it actually hosts content, which can translate to millions of dollars in lost revenue for bigger online services.
Apple is poised to introduce its own video streaming service sometime this year, with over $1 billion invested in original programming. Initially the company may make first-party shows free to watch on its hardware, counting on subscriptions to outside services to make money.
In the long term, though, Apple is allegedly pursuing "tentpole" shows that could prop up a paid-only plan. That may be a challenge if it doesn't abandon family-friendly content rules -- one of the appeals of services like Netflix or HBO Now is the ability to watch uncensored content.
One of the more critically popular shows on Netflix, 'Mindhunter.'
The Standard plan has risen from $10.99 to $12.99, while Premium has jumped from $13.99 to $15.99. Standard customers can stream or cache videos to two devices at the same time in HD -- Premium offers 4K resolution, and expands the device limit to four. The Basic tier is up from $7.99 to $8.99 and limits people to a single SD stream.
Netflix last raised its prices in October 2017, hiking Standard up from $9.99 and Premium from $11.99.
The company presumably wants the money to pay off massive debts created by billions in content spending. While shows like "Daredevil," "House of Cards," and "Stranger Things" have helped build subscribers and fend off competition from the likes of Hulu and HBO Now, critics have accused the company of throwing sludge at the wall, hoping a few titles stick. Even viewers have complained that there are so many Netflix Originals that it can be hard to find quality material.
Debts may also explain Netflix's decision to end in-app subscriptions for iPhone and iPad users. Apple normally claims a 30 percent cut from all in-app transactions, regardless of whether it actually hosts content, which can translate to millions of dollars in lost revenue for bigger online services.
Apple is poised to introduce its own video streaming service sometime this year, with over $1 billion invested in original programming. Initially the company may make first-party shows free to watch on its hardware, counting on subscriptions to outside services to make money.
In the long term, though, Apple is allegedly pursuing "tentpole" shows that could prop up a paid-only plan. That may be a challenge if it doesn't abandon family-friendly content rules -- one of the appeals of services like Netflix or HBO Now is the ability to watch uncensored content.
Comments
Hopefully they can start creating more quality content, rather than just making a bunch of crap with a bit of good stuff mixed in.
We're this close || to bailing on Netflix. The Canadian version is sorely lacking and the price increases are coming fast and furious. Sure it may go for their new content, but we aren't interested in their new content. Heck, we're finding less and less of their old content we're interested in either.
1. There should be a way to turn off video previews.
2. There should be a way to turn off that annoying and loud sound that plays when opening the app.
3. Prices keep going up even though I'm not watching more content over time. I generally avoid Netflix original content. Perhaps they should add additional tiers to both exclude and include Netflix original content. I'd choose the tier without it.
I hate Hulu's convoluted interface. I hate Amazon Prime's advertisements at the beginning of streams.
Slowly but steadily, advertising is working its way into on-demand streaming services and prices are creeping up once they get people hooked.
Sometimes, I miss the days of TV antennae and DVD collections - no subscriptions required!
I used to buy movie codes for 1-4 bucks. Even got a few free. Then they all got upgraded to 4K Dolby Vision for free.
Movie codes have skyrocketed since the free 4K thing. Still, most movies on the iTunes Store go on sale for $4.99 at least once a year and some bundles like the Home Alone bundle on sale drop individual movies below 4.99.
That's right on the cusp for me. Already slightly more than I'd like, but maybe not enough to make me cancel. I'm still waffling. One more price increase and it's gone for sure though.
I use the service a lot, but at some point I don't know how much I want to keep doing so if the price keeps rising.