Netflix has bumped up the price of its U.S. subscription plans again, with its most popular plan jumping to $13 a month.
The standard HD plan will change from $11 to $13, and marks the biggest price hike in the company’s history. The premium 4K plan will go up to $16, while the basic plan, which has long held at $8 a month, will go up to $9. The last subscriber increase came in 2017, when the most popular plan went up by a dollar. The prices are in effect for new subscribers, and will start changing for existing customers over the next few months. Netflix reported last fall that it hit 58 million subscribers in the U.S., and has close to 79 million outside the States.
In a statement a representative said: “We change pricing from time to time as we continue investing in great entertainment and improving the overall Netflix experience.”
This price jump will ostensibly help Netflix while it burns through it 2019 budget, one that is set to include roughly 90 original movies and even more original shows, and might help it recoup costs from an astounding $100 million deal to keep Friends on the service. It also dovetails with news of a new streaming service from NBCUniversal, which owns the rights to Netflix’s most popular show, The Office. Apple and Disney are also rumored to debut streaming services this year.
H/T WSJ