A second straight year of increases may be in order for Netflix's ad-free plans.
The Big Picture Netflix is reportedly looking at raising prices for customers once again after the SAG-AFTRA strike comes to an end. A new report from The Wall Street Journal revealed that the streamer is specifically looking at a hike for its ad-free plan in the months after actors and studios reach a deal. The increase is expected to roll out first in the U.S. and Canada before it's imposed internationally, though there's no telling exactly when or how much the price hike will be.
Currently, Netflix has a $6.99 Standard with Ads plan which has access to less content than its higher-priced ad-free counterparts but is the only real budget option available for anyone looking to catch up on Stranger Things or Suits. The ad-free Standard plan now sits at $15.49 following last year's increase while the swankier Premium plan, complete with 4K quality and up to four simultaneous streams, sits at $19.99.
Needless to say, the move isn't likely to sit well with customers who, this year alone, have endured not only the end of illicit password sharing but the death of the Basic plan which was initially the best option for an ad-free streaming experience without ads. The $9.99 plan was phased out in an effort to get customers to pick between paying more or putting up with ads which Netflix and other streamers have said is even more lucrative for them than any ad-free plan.
A Sea of Streaming Price Hikes This past calendar year has been one full of price hikes as the cost of streaming has gone up 25% from where it was around a year ago. Even amid two Hollywood strikes for better pay, streamers have increasingly passed the cost onto the customers, or even removed content, in an effort to reach profitability. The biggest shake-up came from Disney which, earlier this year, introduced massive sweeping increases across the entire bundle of Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu.
In general, Netflix has become the model for creating a sustainable streamer, even if it's at the cost of the customers. Following the password crackdown, the streamer experienced a 102% increase in sign-ups that continued to payoff into the summer with an influx of another 2.6 million subscribers as of August.
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