Tag: netflix password sharing

Netflix Is Reportedly Planning a Price Hike After the Ongoing Hollywood Actors’ Strike Ends

Netflix is reportedly planning to raise its subscription prices once the ongoing Hollywood actors’ strikes end. As per The Wall Street Journal, the streamer will issue a hike on its ad-free plans a few months before a global spread, starting with the US and Canada. The company hasn’t commented on the said increase, but going by the last instance, which was in January 2022, we can expect it to go up by $1 to $2 (about Rs. 83 to Rs. 166) for a monthly plan. Before that, Netflix also introduced its cheaper ad-supported plan, costing $6.99 (about Rs. 582), which is still unavailable in India.

While other international streaming platforms such as Max and Disney+ raised their prices to curb financial losses, Netflix instead chose to boost its subscription count by cracking down on password sharing among its customers. The method seems to have worked, considering the streamer reported a climb of 6 million new subscribers, as of July, taking the total to 238 million members. The WSJ report suggests that costs of major streaming platforms have shot up by 25 percent, as a means to make a profit and lead more price-conscious customers to their low-cost ad-supported plans. It’s not surprising for the company to try and match the price pools set by its competitors, with the leading one in the US being Disney+ at $13.99 (about Rs. 1,165). Raising the cost of ad-free tiers also makes the cheaper ad-supported plans look more appealing.

It’s unclear exactly when the new prices will be issued, but currently, the ad-free Standard tier costs $15.49 (about Rs. 1,289) per month in the US, while the Premium plan is set at $19.99 (about Rs. 1,664) monthly, allowing you to stream content at up to four screens at the same time.

Last week, the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) finally ended its 148-day strike against major Hollywood studios, in an effort to earn fair paychecks and to fight back against unregulated use of AI in screenwriting. Among those studios were the aforementioned Netflix and other major streaming services, all of which will now be forced to share streaming data with the WGA — specifically, the hours streamed — so writers and actors can assess how well a movie or show performed and collect residuals on them. It’s similar to TV broadcasts, but the advent of online streaming made it so workers weren’t making any additional money beyond the initial payment. Meanwhile, the SAG-AFTRA (actors’ union) is still on strike and trying to negotiate a fair deal with the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers).

In April, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claimed that the streamer was ‘better prepared than most‘ studios in the event that a strike went through. Keeping disruptions to the minimum was its large slate of content, thanks to its penchant for planning out releases long before they’re ever revealed to the public. It makes sense for Netflix to wait until the strikes end so they can raise their prices, given there’s not much promise of new content besides the ones they’ve already shown throughout their TUDUM events.

However, as actors and writers return to work, not only can they justify the price hike, but they will finally be able to promote the films and hold interviews like they used to. For the uninitiated, actors under the SAG-AFTRA union aren’t allowed to promote their films or shows nor work on them during the strike period, which has caused several major projects like Dune: Part 2 and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse to get delayed.

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Disney+ to Begin Password Sharing Crackdown This November in Canada

Disney+ will begin restricting password sharing starting November 1 in Canada. Subscribers in the region received an email stating they’ll soon be prohibited from sharing accounts with people outside their ‘household.’ Household, in this case, refers to the devices associated with a primary personal address used by people living within the same residence. The announcement isn’t quite clear, so the impression I’m getting is that as long as outsiders sign in at the main account holder’s residence, they could qualify as members of the ‘household’? There are no details on how Disney plans to enforce this policy, but it promises to always monitor account activity to see if people are complying with it.

Indeed, if Disney+ realises or believes its users are breaking the rules, access to the streaming platform might get limited or entirely terminated. “You will be responsible for any use of your account by your household, including compliance with this section,” the new agreement reads (via MobileSyrup). During its Q3 2023 earnings call, last month, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that his team was aware that a ‘significant’ number of users had been sharing passwords with friends and family, and that the company has the ‘technical capability’ to monitor those sign-ins. At the time, he alluded that crackdown plans might start sometime in 2024, though now it seems like Disney+ jumped the gun a little.

Interestingly, a phrase on the agreement — “Unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier” — suggests that certain Disney+ tiers might let you share passwords, after all. Of course, this would be the more expensive tier, which I’m guessing will work similarly to Netflix’s new policies that let users add extra members to their accounts for a higher monthly subscription fee. The latter was among the first major streaming platforms to begin cracking down on account sharing by tracking IP addresses and asking for verification codes every 31 days. For now, it’s unclear if Disney+ will follow the same methods and as to what new subscription plans it might introduce. However, Iger’s primary concern is that once people get booted off someone else’s Disney+ account, how many are willing to become new subscribers and boost revenue for the company?

Despite the initial backlash, the password-sharing crackdown approach seems to have heavily worked in favour of Netflix, which reported a climb of 6 million new subscriptions in July, for a total of 238 million subscribers. Meanwhile, Disney+ has been struggling to maintain its numbers — specifically, the Disney+ Hotstar segment, which lost a staggering 12.5 million subscribers from April to June, dropping from 52.9 million to 40.4 million subscribers. The drop largely had to do with the platform losing the rights to livestream IPL (Indian Premier League) cricket to Viacom18 until 2027. Another contributing factor has to be the removal of all HBO content from Disney+ Hotstar, which caused many on the internet (including me) to question whether the subscription was still worth it.

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Netflix Scraps Cheapest Ad-Free Plan in These Countries

Netflix has removed its basic plan in the US and UK in which users could watch shows and movies without commercials, as the company tries to draw more subscribers to its ad-supported tier.

The company said on its website the $9.99-a-month (about Rs. 820) basic plan would no longer be available for new or rejoining members. Users who are already on the plan could continue to remain on it until they change plans or cancel their accounts.

The streaming video pioneer had launched a $7-per-month (about Rs. 574) option with commercials last November in 12 markets, including the US, as an alternative to ad-free plans. It was designed to attract more customers and add a new revenue stream as competition for online viewers intensified.

Netflix had also cracked down on households sharing passwords in May and forced users who share an account outside the same home to pay an additional fee, which in turn triggered droves of users to sign up for its cheaper ad-tier base.

“We expect the most important aspect of Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing will be the catalyst it creates to attract more users to its $6.99 ad tier base, in turn generating higher revenue from advertising,” Macquarie analysts said.

In May, the company said the ad-supported tier had reached nearly 5 million active users per month, in a pitch that emphasized the breadth of its programming to potential advertisers.

The company is scheduled to report its second-quarter results after markets today where investors will assess risks from the ongoing strike in Hollywood.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Netflix Gains 6 Million Subscribers Following Its Password-Sharing Crackdown

Netflix on Wednesday said subscriptions to the media streaming service climbed by nearly 6 million in the wake of its crackdown on password sharing.

The streaming giant finished the recently ended quarter with a total of 238 million subscribers and a profit of $1.5 billion (roughly Rs. 12,309 crore), according to an earnings release.

The pickup in subscribers came as a potentially crippling writers and actors strike hits the US entertainment industry, but with analysts saying Netflix is better positioned than its rivals to weather the storm.

“We are constantly at the table negotiating with everyone across the industry,” Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos said during an earnings presentation.

“We need to get to this strike to a conclusion so that we can all move forward.”

Revenue came in lower than expectations with Netflix posting $8.2 billion (roughly Rs. 67,290 crore) in sales over the April to June period, pushing the company’s shares down more than 8 percent in after hours trading on Wall Street.

Netflix in May expanded its crackdown on users sharing passwords with people beyond their immediate family as it seeks to shore up revenue after a rough patch last year.

Earlier this year the company complained that more than 100 million households were sharing accounts at the service.

“Let’s face it, the crackdown on passwords is working,” Navellier and Associates chief investment officer Louis Navellier said of Netflix.

“I was ecstatic with the results; I think they hit the ball out of the park with subscriber growth.”

In its earning statement, the company said that the policy would expand to all its markets worldwide.

To convert non-paying users, Netflix has introduced “borrower” or “shared” accounts, in which subscribers can add extra viewers for a higher price or transfer viewing profiles to new accounts.

Netflix launched an ad-subsidised offering around the same time as the crackdown, and on Wednesday eliminated its lowest priced ad-free plan that cost $10 (roughly Rs. 800) a month in the US.

“The decision to cut its basic tier is an effort to bolster advertising by elevating the price difference between its advertising and non-advertising tiers,” said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Ross Benes.

A Netflix ad-supported subscription is available in the United States for $7 (roughly Rs. 600) monthly.

“Building an ads business from scratch isn’t easy and we have lots of hard work ahead, but we’re confident that over time we can develop advertising into a multi-billion dollar incremental revenue stream,” Netflix said in the letter to shareholders.

Benes estimates that Netflix will generate $770 million (roughly Rs. 6,318 crore) in advertising revenue in the US this year, and more than $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,206 crore) by 2024.

“Netflix’s increased focus on password sharing will occur alongside heightened pressure to expand ad revenue,” Benes said.

“As the service’s subscriber base plateaus in more countries, Netflix will focus on moving price-sensitive freeloaders to its cheaper ad-supported plan.”

Actors on strike

The earnings report came as Netflix and other film and television makers see productions halted by an actors and writers strike in the United States.

“The share price is down a bit after market; there is worry they will run out of content because of the Hollywood strike,” Navellier told AFP.

Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) members joined writers who have been on strike for weeks, triggering the first industry-wide walkout for 63 years and effectively shutting down Hollywood.

“Our experts say that Netflix is best positioned to weather the strike compared to competitors, but it could start to feel pressure if its content pipeline gets increasingly strained,” said Third Bridge analyst Jamie Lumley.

Sarandos said on an earnings call in April that the company has a “pretty robust slate of releases” and a large base of upcoming films and shows from around the world to help it endure a strike.

The company touted the success of fresh “Murder Mystery” and “Extraction” films, as well as series such as Bridgerton, The Witcher, and Never Have I Ever.

“This year we’ll have more returning seasons than any other streamer,” Netflix told shareholders, sharing a list that included The Crown and Virgin River.

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Netflix Plans in India Are Among the Cheapest Anywhere in 2023, Switzerland Most Expensive: Report

Netflix plans in India are among the most affordable in 2023, compared to other countries around the world where the global streaming service is available. As per a new report, Netflix pricing in India is considerably cheaper than most other countries, where plan pricing starts at considerably higher prices based on direct currency conversion rates. This is because Netflix sets its pricing according to purchasing power, based on average income levels of the platform’s typical user base and how much a customer might be willing to pay to subscribe to the premium streaming service.

As per a report and analysis of Netflix plan pricing in 245 countries by VPNWiki, India is among the most affordable countries to watch Netflix in 2023. Netflix plans in India start at Rs. 149 per month for the Mobile-only plan, going up to Rs. 649 per month for the Premium plan which offers access to content on up to four devices simultaneously and Ultra-HD HDR resolution for all supported content.

Where is Netflix cheaper?

Notably, only a handful of countries have lower starting prices for Netflix than India. Pakistan and Kenya have lower starting prices, while Turkey, Argentina, and Colombia have lower average pricing across plans. Mobile-only plans are not offered everywhere, and were introduced for price-sensitive markets such as India, in order to offer a lower starting point for potential subscribers to sign up for Netflix. These are far lower than the global average pricing of $6.43 (approximately Rs. 530) to $13.03 (approximately Rs. 1,070) per month.

As the name suggests, with the Mobile plan, Netflix can only be accessed from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Some countries also offer access to an ad-supported basic plan for Netflix which is a bit more affordable than the ad-free basic plan, although this option is not available in India. Importantly, all Netflix content is available to all paid subscribers, regardless of which plan they are on.

Where is Netflix more expensive?

On the other end, Netflix is the most expensive in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, based on the higher purchasing power in those countries and the willingness to pay more for Netflix. In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Netflix prices range from 11.90CHF (approximately Rs. 1,036) to 24.90CHF (approximately Rs. 2,168) per month – considerably higher than pricing for the same plans in India (Rs. 199 for Basic to Rs. 649 for Premium, per month).

Other countries where Netflix is among the most expensive globally are Israel, the US, and Denmark. Netflix prices are generally higher in Western Europe, Scandinavia, and Oceania, although many of these countries now have ad-supported plans to bring down the starting price of Netflix plans.

Netflix recently announced more stringent measures to curb password sharing, where multiple individuals use a single Netflix account to save costs. This has not rolled out in India yet, but users can expect some form of control to be put in place in 2023, since Netflix likely sees this as considerable lost revenue. The service also recently cut prices in some countries, in an effort to retain subscribers amid strong competition.

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