Netflix subscribers are in for a shock as the streaming giant this week rolls out price hikes for all of its subscriptions.
This is the first major price hike proposed by the company since January 2025.
Under the new pricing structure, the ad-supported plan has increased from $7.99 to $8.99 a month.
The standard level is now $19.99 (up from $17.99) while the premium level is now $26.99 (up from $24.99).
In addition, the price of add-ons has also increased, users can add more members for $6.99 per add-on, and ad-free add-ons at $9.99 per add-on.
The company said that these increases are to support its continued investment in content.
Netflix is pursuing other territories than normal series and films, with new activities including live events and video podcasts.
The platform has plans to spend around $20 billion on content in 2026, up from $18 billion in 2025.
And financial projections for this continue to be strong despite the price hikes. Netflix expects its full $50.7 billion to $51.7 billion total revenue this year.
This growth is attributed to an increase in number of memberships, revised pricing and very significant increase in advertising revenues which is almost double that of the previous year.
Company executives have repeatedly defended experimenting with price hikes, saying that they are needed to preserve and build Netflix’s vast library and help to finance ambitious new projects.
The latest move is also part of a broader trend in the streaming industry, where big platforms have been steadily hiking prices in their efforts to make a profit.
Netflix had last changed its prices in early 2025. Meanwhile, the company was reportedly in negotiations to purchase Warner Bros and HBO Max but opted not to match a higher bid from Paramount, previously this year, eventually walking away from the deal.
Also read: Paramount sues Warner Bros in bid to derail Netflix merger
