LAST UPDATE
|
32 mins ago
STREAMING GIANT NETFLIX has quietly increased the prices of its monthly subscription plans.
The changes kicked in for new customers yesterday, and will be rolled out to existing users in the coming weeks, Netflix told The Journal this evening.
The platform’s ‘standard’ plan previously cost €16.99 for Irish customers – but sign up today, and you will pay €18.99.
Netflix’s cheapest, ‘basic’ plan, which previously cost €10.99, is going up to €11.99. A ‘premium’ plan – popular with families, as it allows four devices to watch at the same time – will now cost €25.99, up from €23.99.
That means a year of Netflix premium – which it says is its most popular plan – will now cost €312.
Netflix said the exact timing for when the price rise will kick in for existing subscribers will depend on their billing cycles.
“Existing members will be notified by email a month before the new prices are applied to them,” the company said.
Netflix said it’s updating its prices to reinvest in shows and in improving users’ experience. It said upcoming shows for 2026 include series of The Gentlemen and of Black Doves, as well as adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice (starring Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden) and John Steinbeck’s East of Eden (starring Florence Pugh).
Jack Lowden stars in the new Pride & Prejudice on Netflix. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Darragh Cassidy of price comparison website Bonkers.ie said price hikes of €1-2 are pretty standard for subscription services in the current market.
“It happens all the time. Disney and Apple TV came in with really low prices, but as they became more popular and increased the amount of content they increased the price,” he said.
Irish audiences have been hit by other subscription increases this year. Music and podcast platform Spotify increased prices for most plans in May, while Youtube Premium is increasing its monthly charge from €13.99 to €15.99 this month.
How to save money
Cassidy advised that Netflix customers should check they are not paying for a plan that’s more expensive than they need. For instance, if kids have flown the nest it might not make sense to pay for premium, when basic or standard would probably do for a single adult or couple.
Netflix’s basic plan offers lower video and sound quality than the standard plan, and allows streaming on only one rather than on two devices with standard.
Cassidy added that it’s worth bearing in mind that if you pause your Netflix subscription, all your account data and viewing history will still be there if you sign back up after a few months, “and hopefully a whole raft of new shows you want to watch”.
Finally, there is almost certainly no point in having more than two streaming services on the go, as you’re likely to be overwhelmed by choice and probably paying for something you don’t need.
And it’s worth bearing in mind that the RTÉ and Channel 4′s streaming services are free. Channel 4 usually has lots of good films, while RTÉ has several popular children’s shows, including Bluey and Puffin Rock, and syndicates international TV series as well as offering its own Irish content.
Some film options on Channel 4’s player today.
British media outlets reported today that Netflix has quietly upped prices there too, with the cheapest, ad-supported tier going up by a hefty 33% to £7.99 (€9.29).
Netflix does not yet offer ad-supported plans in Ireland, but it has been reported that this could be rolled out here next year. Netflix told RTÉ in May that ads would give Irish customers more affordable plan options.