Netflix will boost the price of its ad-free subscription a few months after the Hollywood actors strike ends, the latest price rise by the country's top streaming companies.
According to sources, the streaming service is considering hiking fees in various countries, starting with the U.S. and Canada. Netflix did not reveal how much or when it will hike fees. Netflix wouldn't comment.
As entertainment corporations try to make their streaming platforms profitable and attract price-conscious clients to their cheaper, more profitable ad-supported plans, leading ad-free streaming providers have raised their prices by 25% in the past year.
On Tuesday, Warner Bros. Discovery raised the monthly price of its ad-free Discovery+ streaming service to $8.99 from $6.99, while its ad-supported platform remained at $4.99.
Streamers are also considering how to price exclusive content like live sports without losing customers.
People familiar with the matter say Disney is considering creating a live-sports layer of Disney+ abroad. Last month, Warner Bros. Discovery said it will add live sports to Max, which would cost $9.99 a month.
Apple sells Major League Soccer's MLS Season Pass for $12.99 a month to Apple TV+ subscribers and $14.99 to non-subscribers. The Wall Street Journal said that Lionel Messi's transfer to Inter Miami boosted U.S. Apple TV+ subscribers.
Netflix, which is profitable, has been the only big streaming firm not to hike pricing this year, instead pushing down on password sharing to boost income. It last raised prices in January 2022.
The corporation won't raise costs until the Hollywood writer-actor strikes expire. The Screen Actors Guild, which went on strike in July, resumed discussions with Hollywood studios this week after the Writers Guild of America reached a tentative agreement last week.