Netflix just made a new decision that could upset some subscribers. Be careful, it hurts your credit card, but not for everyone.
Netflix is clearly one of the most popular SVOD platforms. There are four offers available to subscribe to (technically three, but we’ll get to that). Depending on certain criteria, they are more or less expensive. In particular, we think about whether or not advertising is shown. And in fact, the American giant has just made a radical decision regarding one of these subscriptions. One thing is for sure, it will upset a lot of people because it means more money.
Netflix will hurt some subscribers’ wallets
Last year, the service had already dropped the ax, much to the dismay of subscribers. As a reminder, the Essential offer increased from $8.99 to $10.99 and the Premium offer increased from $17.99 to $19.99. Suffice it to say, this didn’t make anyone happy who didn’t desperately want to put more money on the table. However, two levels were not affected: Standard with advertising and Standard without advertising. That’s all, even if they are not immune to an increase. Either way, Netflix just made a new decision that will change everything.
Last December we learned of the disappearance of the $10.99 Essential offer. However, a little clarification was necessary. If you had this package, the platform did not force you to change your offer. This would only be the case if you decide to do so voluntarily or if you unsubscribe. Unfortunately, Netflix announced to its investors that it was backing out. The subscription in question will be permanently deleted in the coming months.
The Essential plan is no longer available to new or rejoining members. If you are currently on this plan, you may remain on this plan until your plan is changed or your account is terminated.
Netflix’s first statement about the Essential subscription when announcing its cancellation
Are further increases to be expected?
It is still important to remember that this has not yet happened in France. As far as we know, it will start in Canada, followed by the United Kingdom in the second quarter of 2024. The rest of Europe should follow during this period, in short, it will come soon. If this is implemented, you will have to pay $13.49 to get access to the “cheapest” ad-free offer. This is information that is not being shared with the community and we suspect it will be a hard pill to swallow.
As mentioned, this isn’t the first time the company has encouraged people to spend more money. In this case it is the Essential offer, but nothing says that the other tiers are safe. As the SVOD platform said: “As we invest in and improve Netflix, we sometimes require our members to pay slightly more to reflect these improvements.”. Words that promise a bright future for our portfolios.
