Look, no one ever pretended the sophomore seasons of Bridgerton and The Witcher were gonna come cheap. Netflix revealed today that it would raise its monthly subscription prices in the United States and Canada, according to a report from Reuters. Here in the States, the standard high-definition subscription tier hikes from $13.99 to $15.49 per month; Canada’s prices go up from C$14.99 to C$16.49. The price jump goes into effect immediately for all new customers. Current users — about 74 million accounts between the U.S. and Canada, per Netflix’s last reported subscriber counts — can expect to see the higher rates on either their next bill or the one after (depending on what day the billing cycle falls).
It’s probably fair to say Netflix weathered some hits in 2021, between a subscriber slowdown, the protracted controversy over Dave Chappelle that led to a walkout, and reports that it suppressed search results for Cuties to avoid backlash, to name a few. Still, the service is the closest thing the streaming landscape has to a monoculture these days. Almost everyone you know has a Netflix account — or at least has a friend’s or ex’s password saved on their TV. It’s no shock that after spending $17 billion on content in 2021, it would need to raise prices in 2022. The last time it raised prices was October 2020.
“We understand people have more entertainment choices than ever and we’re committed to delivering an even better experience for our members,” a Netflix spokesperson said. “We’re updating our prices so that we can continue to offer a wide variety of quality entertainment options. As always, we offer a range of plans so members can pick a price that works for their budget.” Here’s what the service’s new U.S. pricing looks like now:
Basic plan: $9.99 (one stream, no HD)
Standard plan: $15.49 (two streams, HD)
Premium plan: $19.99 (multiple streams, 4K+HDR)