- Netflix is raising prices in the UK in line with last month’s increase in the US
- Its ad-supported and premium plans have increased by £1, while its ‘Standard’ without ads tier has seen a £2 price hike
- A new extra member fee has been introduced for its without ads plans
Netflix has raised subscription prices on all three of its plans in the UK by as much as £2, while also introducing a higher member fee for those signed up to one of its ad-free plans.
The streaming service’s ad-free tier prices will increase the most, as the ‘Standard’ without ads plan is rising from £10.99 to £12.99 (its biggest increase), while ‘Premium’ is jumping from £17.99 to £18.99. Netflix’s cheaper, ad-supported plan, meanwhile, has seen its first price hike since launching in 2022, growing from £4.99 to £5.99.
The price hike is a similar increase to what was rolled out in the US on January 22, where Netflix has also become more expensive. With similar price increases announced in Canada, Portugal and Argentina, it’s likely only a matter of time until more global subscribers are impacted. However, Australia may be spared as Netflix only raised prices again in the region in May last year (whereas the US and UK did not see a similar rise in costs).
That’s not all, either. Netflix isn’t just increasing prices for all three of its subscription plans, it’s also introducing a new higher extra member fee for those that want to share their account with someone that’s not in your household.
It now means that if you’re signed up to one of its ad-free plans and want to add an extra member, you’ll have to pay £5.99. For anyone signed up to Netflix’s ad-supported, the fee remains unchanged at £4.99.
Netflix’s latest price hike has subscription hoppers fleeing
Looking at reactions from Netflix subscribers on social media platforms so far, many are unsurprisingly fed up by another price hike. It seems not even the best Netflix movies or best Netflix shows are enough anymore to justify its high costs, with many criticising the service’s increased spending on new content like live sports.
Netflix had struggled through last year’s live boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul as subscribers reported glitches, and those same technical issues haven’t appeared to be patched as feed dropouts have been reported of its WWE Raw coverage, frustrating fans of the sport.
With Netflix prices becoming a joke, many have taken to subscription hopping between services from month-to-month as a way to save cash. But some seem to see the latest price hike as the last straw. Commenters in a Netflix Reddit thread following the news are even contemplating dropping Netflix from their subscription rotation completely.
I’ll admit, and this is partly because of my job working in an entertainment editorial team, I’m still signed up to Netflix. But I hardly watch as many movies and shows as I once did. In fact, the last Netflix show I tuned into was Squid Game season 2, which I still haven’t finished.
Despite not streaming as much content on the platform as I once did, I’m not alone in not canceling my Netflix subscription. In fact, the service had its best quarter ever for new sign-ups during the three months ending in December 2024, adding a record 19 million new subscribers.
Of course, there are a number of factors that play into this figure, including the company’s ad-supported tier rollout, the Netflix password-sharing crackdown and its increased focus on expanding into new content areas like live sports to attract new customers.
As one of the biggest best streaming services, I don’t expect a mass exodus from the streamer this year, especially with Stranger Things season 5 and Black Mirror season 7 on the way, but there are a growing number of alternatives out there that let you watch movies and shows for much less. Why not try paying as little as nothing at all by tuning into one of the best free streaming services?
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amelia.schwanke@futurenet.com (Amelia Schwanke)
