Netflix hits Aussies with another price hike
All subscription tiers will see changes, hitting users as soon as September, 2025.
For Aussie's already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, the once ad-free, paid service now has paid ad-supported offerings as well as premium packages to watch shows and movies uninterrupted.
Members on Netflix's two standard plans face an extra $2 every month, with 'standard with ads' moving from $7.99 to $9.99, and the ad-free Standard plan now set at $20.99 monthly.
Premium subscribers are looking at the steepest jump, with a $3 rise, taking the plan from $25.99 to $28.99.
The move comes after Netflix ramped up its crackdown on password sharing. In May 2023, Aussie users sharing accounts outside their household received emails stating: 'Your Netflix account is for you and the people you live with: your household.'
Adding an extra member to any plan will also now cost subscribers $1 more.
Subscribers have felt the pinch over the past year: before this announcement, the Premium plan cost $22.99 in May 2024. That's a 26 per cent increase for users of this top tier over 15 months.
According to tech site Tom's Guide, Netflix's initial prices for Australian users were $8.99 monthly for a basic ad-free plan and $14.99 for premium access, making today's Premium option nearly double the cost.
Netflix said the higher prices would allow them 'to bring you even more exciting, new entertainment', promising 'fresh, can't-miss shows and movies every week'.
In other developments, Prince Harry and Meghan have extended their partnership with Netflix with a multi-year, first-look deal and more culinary adventures on the cards.
Their media company Archewell began collaborating with the streaming giant in 2020 and has produced a handful of documentary content, including the popular Harry & Meghan.
The Duchess of Sussex also developed a lifestyle brand, As Ever, in partnership with Netflix.
The collaboration has also produced the documentary series' Polo, Heart of Invictus and Live to Lead.
'My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision,' Meghan said in a statement.
The couple and Netflix also announced upcoming collaborations, including a second season of With Love, Meghan, a lifestyle and cooking show starring the duchess.
The show will also receive a special holiday episode in December.
The show is Netflix's most-watched culinary show since its March release, according to the company.
It ranked low compared to other releases in the first half of this year, with 5.3 million views, according to Netflix's semiannual report.
'Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within,' a documentary short film that centres on a small orphanage in Uganda's Masaka region, is also set to release this year.
Archewell is also in production with Netflix on a feature adaptation of Carley Fortune's novel Meet Me at the Lake.
The drama 'follows a decade-spanning love story that begins with a chance encounter and a broken promise,' the statement read.
'Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. The response to their work speaks for itself,' Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement.
Their extended deal with Netflix is the latest in the couple's years-long effort to develop business ventures in the United States.
They had also penned a multi-year deal with Spotify in 2020 and produced a podcast, Archetypes, but cut ties with the company in 2023.
The couple have been detangling their lives from the British royal family and is living in California with their two young children.
- with AP
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