.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1 "We Got Hooked On Netflix, And Now We’re Paying The Price (Literally)")
Netflix is big, the biggest of all. It has a huge range and we pay for that. The settlement: for a basic subscription you pay 7.99 euros, with a premium account you see 15.99 debited every month. In comparison, HBO Max’s basic subscription costs 5.99.
“Netflix sits on a huge pile of valuable content,” explains Floris Poort of Bright. “They spoiled us. We now know what to expect and the service should not deviate from that quality. So it has to become more expensive.”
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Netflix lost 200,000 paying subscribers in the past quarter. The company attributes this decrease to the massive sharing of passwords, among other things.
make more money
The company wants to tackle this in the near future in order to ‘earn more money from the large number of users’. In Latin American countries, Netflix has already launched a monthly fee for subscribers who share their accounts. You pay about three dollars (3 euros) extra per person.
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That while the American streaming service became big thanks to the sharing of accounts. “They got along well for years. Now they have come to a point where the competition is too great and they have to go in a different direction. They are shocked by the drop in subscribers,” says Poort.
Great offer, high price
“The competition is deliberately staying cheaper. Netflix wanted to offer something for everyone and therefore brought all kinds of different types of films and series. Other services such as Disney + and Amazon Prime go into the niche and have a smaller offer.”
“That’s why they can stay cheaper. Moreover, they stunt prices and they already have cheaper subscriptions with advertisements. Netflix will only come with that later this year.”
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Illegal sale of subscriptions
Sharing accounts is not the only way users are trying to get streaming services more cheaply. For example, illegal subscriptions on AliExpress offered at a fraction of the price.
Unlimited netflix for a year, for example, for less than 50 euros. Or a year of Disney+ for 12 euros. The Chinese sales site informed RTL Nieuws that the subscriptions are illegal and that the sellers are not connected to the site. However, they are still widely available.
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According to Poort, the question is not whether we will also have to pay for sharing your account in the Netherlands, but when. That is expected to happen once Netflix has launched its new cheaper subscription with advertising in early 2023.
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Let’s do the math: you are a big fan of movies and series and that’s why you have a premium Netflix account of 15.99 per month. You share it with your brother, mother, girlfriend and ex. As soon as the new Netflix rule is introduced, no less than 12 euros per month will be added. That is 144 euros extra per year.
Quite a considerable amount, but according to the Bright journalist, Netflix will not lose viewers because of that. Because yes, you want to see that one nice series that is only available there. “It will cause more discussion within your family and circle of friends”, Poort laughs. “You have to pay or I’ll kick you off.”
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