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Netflix users are so angry about the price increase that’s hitting accounts now

Published Jan 23rd, 2021 3:07PM EST
Netflix account
Image: JorgeEduardo/Adobe

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  • The price of many Netflix accounts in the US is in the process of increasing, with a previously announced hike getting underway and being communicated to users.
  • In most cases in the US, the price of Netflix accounts will be increased by $1 or $2, while some newer users won’t see a change at all.
  • Other price hikes are coming for Netflix account holders elsewhere globally soon.

When Netflix announced earlier this month that its 2021 film slate is so jam-packed that the streamer will be debuting a new Netflix original movie every single week this year — featuring some of the biggest Hollywood stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, Idris Elba, Meryl Streep, Zendaya, and so many more — it was hard not to regard that as the ultimate flex. One of that almost none of Netflix’s streaming rivals has the resources to match.

Think about all the content a Netflix subscription gets you, for less than $20 a month. The ease of use and the universality across devices and platforms are some of the other reasons why, for most people, Netflix is the must-have streamer while every other rival is an add-on. But subscribers still bemoan the odd price increase here and there when the streamer lets users know (like it’s doing now) that the price of many users’ Netflix account is going up.

Netflix already announced a new round of price increases last year that will see users in the US generally charged no more than a dollar or two more each month for their Netflix account. Many users are seeing those increases hit their accounts now. “We’re updating our prices to bring you more great entertainment,” reads the email a work colleague received from Netflix in recent days. “Your monthly price will increase by $1 to $13.99 on February 22, 2021.

“This update will allow us to deliver even more value for your membership — with stories that lift you up, move you or simply make your day a little better.”

No one on the basic, standard-definition plan, for $8.99, will see a price increase as part of this current round of hikes. But the standard subscription price, as noted above, is going from $12.99 to $13.99, while the premium tier is going up $2, to $17.99 per month. A price hike has also been announced for users in the UK, and there’s an expectation among some analysts and Netflix watchers that European users will be hit with more price hikes there later this year. One reason has to do with the fact that Netflix’s European market will be feeding a growing share of content to the streamer’s library, with a slew of exciting shows and movies coming to Netflix soon from Europe, all of which will have to be paid for.

The new content this year includes Sky Rojo, a hotly-anticipated series from Spain that’s set to drop on Netflix in March. It’s from the creators of Money Heist, a smash hit for the streamer that has become one of its all-time most successful international series.

Earlier this month, Netflix announced it had finally grown to the point that it’s crossed the threshold of now having more than 200 million paying subscribers. Not that all of them are happy about the bills going up, though:

Andy Meek Trending News Editor

Andy Meek is a reporter based in Memphis who has covered media, entertainment, and culture for over 20 years. His work has appeared in outlets including The Guardian, Forbes, and The Financial Times, and he’s written for BGR since 2015. Andy's coverage includes technology and entertainment, and he has a particular interest in all things streaming.

Over the years, he’s interviewed legendary figures in entertainment and tech that range from Stan Lee to John McAfee, Peter Thiel, and Reed Hastings.