Netflix Unveils Another Price Hike in Subscriptions

The price of a Netflix subscription is continuing to rise, and not just in the United States. Just weeks after bumping the price of all subscription tiers by $1 or $2, the streaming service has issued yet another price hike, this time impacting its subscribers in the UK and Ireland. The streamer cited an increased focus on original content as the reason for the changes.

The new price hike affects all subscription tiers the streamer offers in those markets. Under the new pricing, the basic plan, which allows subscribers to watch on one screen at a time and does not include HD and Ultra HD, climbed from £1 ($1.31) to £6.99 ($9.19) in the UK and by €1 ($1.10) to €8.99 ($9.92) in Ireland. According to Deadline, the increased price marks the first increase to the basic plan in 10 years in the UK and first increase in basic package in eight years in Ireland. The second tier level, the standard package, increased by £1 ($1.31) to £10.99 ($14.46) in the UK and by €2 ($2.20) to €14.99 ($16.54) in Ireland. Allowing subscribers to watch on four screens at once with Ultra HD available, the premium plan will see the largest increase, seeing a hike of £2 ($2.63) in the UK and €2 ($2.20) in Ireland. The new prices are effective immediately to all new members, with existing subscribers set to be notified about them by Netflix 30 days before they come into effect.

Netflix confirmed that the price hikes will not affect other aspects of the individual plans, and each subscription tier will still have access to the streamer’s complete content catalog. In announcing the pricing change, Netflix said the price hike would allow the streamer to “continue investing in best in class UK productions and offer a wide variety of curated quality shows and films.” The UK is Netflix’s biggest production hub outside of the U.S. and Canada.

“We have always been focused on providing our members both quality and clear value for their membership,” a Netflix spokesperson said. “Our updated prices reflect the investment we have made in our service and catalog and will allow us to continue making the series, documentaries and films our members love as well as investing in talent and the creative industry. We offer a range of plans so members can choose a price that works best for them.”

The price hikes in the UK and Ireland come two months after Netflix confirmed price hikes in both the U.S. and Canada. Those price hikes were also effective immediately for new subscribers and later rolled out to existing subscribers. In the U.S., a Netflix subscription now costs $10 per month for the basic package, $15.50 per month for the standard plan, and $20 per month for the premium plan.