Netflix is hitting subscribers with another round of price increases in the US, barely a year after the last hike, as reported by LadBible. This move is definitely going to sting, especially when you consider their recent financial successes and a hefty payout from a failed acquisition attempt.
If you’re on the standard Netflix plan in the US, get ready to pay $19.99 a month, up from $17.99. For those of us who enjoy the premium package, that price is climbing to $26.99, a bump from $24.99. Even the ad-supported tier, which is usually the most budget-friendly option, is going up by a dollar, moving from $7.99 to $8.99.
It feels like just yesterday we were talking about Netflix’s pricing. Cast your mind back just three years, and the basic, ad-free subscription was only $9.99 a month. It’s a pretty stark contrast to today’s numbers. While price hikes are never popular, it seems, however, that for every subscriber who says “enough is enough,” more people keep signing up. The streaming giant reached an incredible 325 million subscribers by the end of last yea.
This latest increase comes on the heels of some seriously impressive financial results for Netflix
The company pulled in $45.18 billion in revenues across 2025, with a net income of $10.98 billion. Those are some huge numbers, and they’ve left many subscribers scratching their heads, wondering why their fees need to go up if the company is already raking in so much cash.
What’s more, Netflix recently made a big play to acquire Warner Bros. for a massive sum of money. While that deal ultimately fell through, with Paramount stepping in instead, Netflix still walked away with a $2.8 billion “breakup fee” from Paramount. So, it’s not like the company is short on funds. This extra cash from a failed acquisition, combined with record revenues, really makes you wonder about the justification for these new price tags.
A Netflix spokesperson addressed the price rises, saying, “Our approach remains the same: We continue offering a range of prices and plans to meet a variety of needs, and as we deliver more value to our members we are updating our prices to enable us to reinvest in quality entertainment and improve their experience by updating our prices.” It’s the usual spiel about reinvesting in content and improving the experience, but it doesn’t always land well when your wallet feels lighter.
Unsurprisingly, people are expressing their frustration online, with some saying these companies have “lost their minds” for continuously raising prices despite clearly having plenty of money. Others view these increases as a “test” to see “how much people are willing to keep paying for convenience.” Some even mentioned that a price increase might have made more sense if Netflix had actually gone through with the multi-billion dollar Warner Bros. acquisition. Since that didn’t happen, the need for the extra money feels a bit more opaque.
The general consensus in the industry is that Netflix believes it has “pricing power” over its rivals, along with a cultural dominance that dictates even Hollywood on how to make movies. They’re betting that any money lost from cancellations will be more than offset by new subscribers and existing ones who just absorb the extra cost.
Existing customers can expect to receive an email notification about the price change a month before it takes effect on their account. While these specific price rises are for US customers, subscribers around the world should probably keep an eye out for similar announcements in their own regions.
Published: Mar 27, 2026 06:45 pm