The streaming wars really heated up in 2020, with services such as Disney+, HBO Max, and Peacock increasing the competition on market leaders Netflix and Amazon Video. Netflix is continuing to spend big money on original content and as a result has introduced a series of price rises. The UK is the latest country to see an increase in subscription costs.
The cost of a standard monthly package, which provides HD video and allows streaming on two devices simultaneously, will rise from £9 a month to £10. The premium package, which provides 4K and up to five simultaneous devices, will rise from £12 to £14 a month. The basic plan, for which you get SD video and just one device, remains at £6 a month. The price rises were announced last year, but come into effect from this week.
Netflix defended the price increase by stating that the money will be invested in more original shows and movies. The company told Variety: “This year we’re spending over $1bn in the UK on new, locally-made films, series, and documentaries, helping to create thousands of jobs and showcasing British storytelling at its best–with everything from The Crown, to Sex Education and Top Boy, plus many, many more. Our price change reflects the significant investments we’ve made in new TV shows and films, as well as improvements to our product.”
The UK subscription increase coincides with another national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the company has been criticised for raising its price at a time that millions of people are stuck at home. Nick Baker, from comparison site Uswitch, told the BBC: “Netflix has been a lifeline for many people during lockdown, so this price rise is an unwanted extra expense for households feeling the financial pressure.”
This follows November’s price increase for US Netflix subscribers. The costs rose to $18 and $14 for premium and standard packages respectively, with basic remaining at $9 per month.
For more, check out GameSpot’s guide to all the new movies and shows hitting Netflix this month.
