NETFLIX users claim the service has “gone downhill” amid skyrocketing subscription costs.
It is no secret that major streamers are hiking their prices. Over the past few months alone, big players like Paramount+ and Max have announced increases for their subscription plans.
Netflix, in particular, has faced criticism for increasing the price of subscriptions across the board and cutting out its cheapest ad-free option.
The company announced it was doing away with the Basic plan in January, starting with users in Canada and the United Kingdom.
The phase-out began last month, much to the dismay of users who claimed they were forced to choose between an ad-supported plan with limited access to content or shell out more money.
The service also continues to raise prices. Earlier this week, the streamer increased prices for the second time in months for users in Nigeria, following a price adjustment in April.
Fees rose across the board, with the most notable being a 40% increase for the Premium subscription.
The company has adjusted for global inflation over the years, but fans are still unhappy that they are being asked to pay more.
In the United States, the Standard plan saw a 94% increase over 12 years as it jumped from $7.99 in 2011 to $15.49 in 2023.
Likewise, the pricier Premium plan spiked 92% in a decade, rising from $11.99 in 2013 to $22.99 in 2023.
Users’ frustration is coupled with their belief that the quality of the content doesn’t justify the rates.
“Netflix has increased prices…for what?” one user lamented in a Reddit post from May.
“Netflix has honestly gone downhill for me the last couple of years. Takes forever for the next seasons to come out and there hasn’t been much new that’s actually good.”
Other users echoed the sentiment, with many claiming they’d cancelled their subscriptions months ago.
“Prices will continue to increase until people start leaving the platform en masse,” another user declared.
The company recorded its first subscriber loss in 10 years in April 2022 and bled another million viewers over the following months.
Despite two quarters of straight losses, the company appears to have rebounded some.
It added 9.3 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2024, with its ad-supported plan growing 65% from the previous quarter.
As it stands, Netflix is projected to have over 270 million subscribers. However, the market remains competitive, and it is unclear just how well the streamer will hold up.
One option is focusing more on producing high-quality content with diverse appeal – something users clearly want.
Customers in the United States complain that the streamer has been hiking prices for years - but just how bad is it?
2007: Users had to buy a DVD subscription to use the streaming service. People on the $18/month plan could view 18 hours of streams, while more expensive plans supported more content.
2008: Users on a $8.99/month plan could stream an unlimited number of shows and movies, while those on the $4.99/month plan could only stream two hours each month.
2011: Netflix introduced its $7.99/month “streaming only” package – and while it may seem like a price cut, many titles were only available in DVD format.
For full access, subscribers were required to pay a minimum of $15.99/month for the “one DVD at a time” plan and the new $7.99/month streaming plan.
For two DVDs at a time, subscribers had to pay $2 more each month.
2013: The streamer unveiled a $11.99/month Premium option that gave users the ability to watch on up to four different screens at the same time through a single account.
2014: The company hiked prices for subscribers who wanted to stream in HD by $2/month. Customers could also opt to downgrade to SD to avoid paying more.
2015: New Standard plan subscribers were hit with a $1/month price hike, while existing customers were able to continue paying $7.99/month.
2016: Most subscribers were locked in at $9.99/month.
2017: Standard and Premium subscribers saw a $1/month increase.
2019: Basic subscribers were required to shell out one dollar more each month for the service, from $7.99 to $8.99.
Standard and Premium subscribers saw a $2/month increase, to $12.99 and $15.99 respectively.
2020: The Standard plan rose up a dollar to $13.99, and the Premium plan went up 2 dollars to $17.99
2022: The Basic subscription tier increased a dollar to $9.99/month, Standard went up $1.50 to $15.49/month, and Premium went up $2 to $19.99/month.
Also in 2022, Netflix announced the Basic with Ads plan for $6.99/month.
2023: The company got rid of the Basic plan for new subscribers, allowing older subscribers to keep it for a limited time.
Also in 2023, Netflix raised the price of its Basic plan from $9.99 to $11.99.
The Premium plan also rose $3/month, from $19.99 to $22.99. The Standard with ads and Standard plans remained the same at $6.99 and $15.49.
2024: Netflix ended its $11.99 Basic plan and is projected to increase prices in the future.
Netflix touched on this point in an April letter to shareholders, pledging to take “an audience-centric approach to quality.”
“No entertainment company has ever programmed at this scale and with this ambition before,” it read.
“To satisfy such a large audience, we need many great stories that appeal to lots of different tastes — and by great, we mean movies, series and games our members love.”
