Netflix announces plans to increase prices again and subscribers aren't happy
Netflix has confirmed it will raise its subscription prices again and people aren’t happy.
Fans of true crime docs, reality TV, and high-budget dramas will have to spend more cash to binge their favorite shows from now on.
It comes as the streamer's premium plan - which allows subscribers to watch on four devices in 4K, with an option to add two extra people who don't live with them for an additional fee - has increased by around 50 percent since October 2020.
Meanwhile, the standard plan, which lets you watch on two devices at once in HD and add one extra member for an additional cost, is up by just over 40 percent over the same period.
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While the basic ad-supported plan, which was introduced in November 2022, has already got around 30 percent more expensive.
And with a bunch of everyday costs about to increase thanks to the war in Iran, the last thing we need is to have to shell out more to watch KPop Demon Hunters and Stranger Things.
Higher fees will be introduced across all of the streaming service's plans in the US, with the lower-priced ad-supported option now costing $8.99 a month, compared to $7.99 previously.
The standard plan has increased $2 per month to $19.99, according to its website.
Subscribers will now have to pay $26.99 a month for the premium plan, a jump from $24.99 before.
Netflix has also increased the price of adding an extra member to $7.99 for the ad-supported tier and to $9.99 for ad-free subscriptions.
Why is Netflix raising its prices again?
In a statement to Variety explaining the increase, Netflix said: "Our approach remains the same: We continue offering a range of prices and plans to meet a variety of needs, and as we deliver more value to our members we are updating our prices to enable us to reinvest in quality entertainment and improve their experience by updating our prices."
The streamer said in its January earnings report that it plans to spend $20 billion on content this year, up from $18 billion last year. Price hikes are how it will foot the bill.
It also said it expects its ad revenue to double this year, according to CNBC.
But the promise of an extra $2 billion spent on films and TV shows did little to soften the blow for subscribers.
“I’d rather spend that on a mystery drink at a shady bar and get a wild story out of it,” one subscriber said in response to the news.
“Goodbye Netflix,” another person quipped on X.
Another disgruntled subscriber complained: “Another price hike for the same content? At what point do people say enough?”
The news comes as Netflix invests in new programming formats, such as video podcasts and live sporting events, like the Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul live boxing event last December.
Netflix also exited a bidding war for Warner Bros.’ streaming and studio assets in February.
The streaming giant boasts more than 325 million subscribers worldwide as of 2026 and around 66.7 million in the US. In 2023 it scrapped its cheapest ad-free plan, called basic, leaving users with its more expensive premium and standard plans, or the standard plan with ads.
The last time Netflix raised its prices in the US was early last year and subscribers threatened to 'quit' the service as a result. The announcement came after the service reported that it made $39 billion the previous year, an increase of 15 percent on the year before, having accumulated $33.7 billion in 2023.
More recently, Netflix reported revenue of $12.1 billion for the October-December 2025 period, exceeding analysts’ estimates.
With the new fees in place, Netflix’s average revenue per subscriber in the US-Canada region will rise six percent year-over-year in 2026, according to estimates from TD Cowen analysts.
UNILAD has contacted Netflix for comment.
Topics: Film and TV, Netflix, US News
Greg Harris