This month, streaming giant Netflix announced its plan to crack down on account sharing. Users who share their account with others outside of their household will find an extra $2.99 charge per user. This price increase, while intended to benefit customers with higher quality content and more Netflix Original productions, has not been welcomed by users.

With increased competition from rivals, including Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max, Netflix finds the price increases necessary. In fact, the most recent price increase is one of many, with the service having had steady $1 price increases since 2013, with the exception of $2 in 2019 and $1.50 in 2022. While there have been small and large gaps in between price increases, the most recent gap was the shortest at 15 months. “I would like to continue using Netflix, but other streaming sites are more affordable and have more variety. If I were to cut one, it would be Netflix,” Spanish teacher Tamara Hounshell said. 

Hounshell, who pays for the standard plan, enjoys Netflix’s original content, which is the service’s main focus in terms of revenue. Price increases mean more high quality original movies and TV shows. Original TV shows such as “Queen’s Gambit” and “The Crown” performed exceptionally during their respective releases. “In the last year, Netflix has really improved its original content with movies like ‘Power of the Dog’ or shows like ‘The Crown’,” Hounshell said.

However, the loss of fan favorite shows from the streaming giant due to licensing agreements has disappointed viewers. Popular shows such as “The Office,” and movies such as Marvel’s “Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse” were removed, causing negative reactions among viewers. Junior Ruth Dai feels as though removal of such shows combined with higher prices is an unfair deal. “I think it’s a stupid decision because they’re also jacking up prices, which means that I just end up wanting to use a different streaming service,” Dai said.

Netflix provides three different plans for viewers: basic, standard and premium. All plans experienced a price increase in January 2022. The basic plan, which provides viewers with SD quality and one stream, rose from $8.99 to $9.99 per month. The standard plan, which provides viewers with up to 1080p quality and up to two streams, rose from $13.99 to $15.49. Finally, the premium plan, which provides viewers with 4K UHD quality and up to four streams, rose from $17.99 to $19.99 per month. The premium plan is Netflix’s most popular plan, especially for families who want to stream at the same time.

Netflix is not the only service to have experienced increases in prices. Disney+ increased their prices in March 2021. Monthly subscription rates were raised from $6.99 to $7.99, and annual subscription rates raised from $69.99 to $79.99. This was mainly in part due to new content being released from Marvel and Star Wars, as well as new Disney and Pixar movies. 

Additionally, the streaming service recently expanded audience reach, including a more mature content selection, along with normal releases, meaning that there is potential for higher prices in the future. Nevertheless, streaming services such as Disney+ are more appealing to viewers, as they offer more popular content. “I don’t really care [about the prices] because some streaming services are beginning to become more popular and offer more than Netflix. It will also allow the shows or movies to make more money on a different platform,” junior Caroline Carver said.