Netflix: What the next decade has in store for it: ad-free, premium, and relapsed users may not have access to ads

Netflix last raised its prices in January 2022 and stopped offering its $9.99 Basic ad-free plan to new and relapsed users in July, forcing them to fork out more to avoid ads. In the UK and France the prices of the basic and premium plans are going up, but the ad-supported and standard plans are not. The Basic plan will cost 10.49, while the Premium plan costs 199.99, for customers in France.

Speaking of benefits: the Hollywood strikes. Even though the Writers Guild of America struck a deal with studios and script scribes are getting back to work, actors remain on strike, leaving many productions stalled. Love is Blind has had a weird surge in popularity on the platform, but it can coast on at least for now. The strike could eventually make the streamer with fewer offerings to lure or retain subscribers. According to The Wall Street Journal, there might be an increase in prices after the strike is over. If the cost of Netflix goes up again, the company will have to offer more to convince customers that their service is the same as before.

Netflix may be converting mooching nieces, nephews, and ex-lovers into paying subscribers for now. Karl Bode noted recently in Techdirt that it was possible the company had an influx of revenue due to a popular new show or organic growth. The gambit is working so far, but it may not work forever.

The company cracked down on password sharing. The killjoy campaign was implemented in the US and UK in May of 2023. It occurred on the heels of a topsy-turvy time for streaming, as it was facing increased competition from new streamers and losing subscribers for the first time in a decade. The streamer pushed its $7-per-month ad-supported tier just after it quashed password-sharing.