Netflix and Disney+ price explosion: Find out what’s in store for subscribers and prepare to be surprised!
Netflix plans to increase prices for its premium subscriptions
The Wall Street Journal reports that Netflix is considering raising the price of its premium subscriptions, which currently start at $15.49 in the United States. Details regarding the size of this increase and when it will take effect are unclear, but it appears that the platform is waiting for the end of the actors’ and screenwriters’ strike in Hollywood, which should happen soon.
This price increase will affect several countries
While waiting for the end of the strike, several countries will be affected by this increase, notably the United States and Canada. Netflix had already increased its prices in these two countries in March 2022, while in Europe, the last increase dates back to October 2021.
- United States and Canada: first countries affected by this new price increase.
- Europe: the last price increase dates back to October 2021.
Removal of the Essential plan in North America
Netflix also removed the Essential plan in North America this summer, leaving customers to choose between an ad-supported option or premium subscriptions. We can hope that this Essential plan remains available in France for €8.99, but it could disappear if the platform decides to increase its prices.
Disney+ is also changing its pricing structure
The American video-on-demand giant is not the only one to revise its prices upwards. From December 1 in France, Disney+ will offer a new price list. This will retain the Standard subscription at €8.99, but certain features such as 4K quality or Dolby Atmos audio will be removed.
Impact of these increases on subscribers and the streaming market
These price increases risk dissatisfying subscribers, who will have to pay more without benefiting from new features. It is also possible that other streaming services will follow this upward trend, in a context where competition between platforms is increasingly fierce.
- Subscribers: will have to face increasing costs without benefiting from new functionalities.
- Streaming services: could also increase their prices in turn.
Solutions to justify price increases
In order to make these new increases acceptable to subscribers, it would be wise for Netflix and Disney+ to propose concrete improvements in terms of content, accessibility or ergonomics. Here are some possible avenues:
- Content : expand the catalog with new exclusive films and series, offer more local productions.
- Accessibility: facilitate access to content for visually and hearing impaired people, add new subtitling and dubbing languages.
- Ergonomics: improve navigation on platforms, promote personalized recommendations, develop sharing features between friends.
These price increases take place in a context of strong competition in the streaming market, where each player must stand out to attract and retain subscribers. Future announcements from Netflix and Disney+ will therefore be closely scrutinized by users, who will probably expect more from these giants to justify these additional costs.