Netflix remains the dominant force in video streaming, especially in the US, even as pressure mounts from rivals like Disney Plus and HBO Max. Understandably, the ongoing pandemic has increased multimedia consumption on average, which could partly explain the price hikes Netflix is implementing.
Starting today, new US subscribers must pay $9.99 for the Basic plan (was $8.99), $15.49 for the HD plan (was $13.99), and the top 4K plan is now $19.99 (was $17.99). Current subscribers will also eventually experience a price hike, although Netflix has promised to email them 30 days ago. Prices in Canada have risen at roughly the same rate, and the standard plan is now $16.49 (was $14.99).
At this point, Netflix price hikes have all but become the norm. The base plan was $7.99 in 2014 and then rose to $8.99 in 2019. The Standard (HD) plan initially launched at $7.99 in 2011, then rose to $8.99 in 2014, $9.99 in 2015, $10.99 in 2017, $12.99 in 2019, and $13.99 in 2020. The 4K tier was initially $11.99 in 2013, rising to $13.99 in 2017, $15.99 in 2019, and $17.99 in 2020.
