Netflix customers in Ireland are being hit with another price increase this month, with the cost of its standard plan set to climb by nearly 12 per cent.
The standard plan, which is the one held by most customers, allows two users access the platform’s content on different devices simultaneously.
It will jump in price by €2 a month to €18.99. That means the annual cost of a subscription for the plan will cost Irish consumers €227.88. The annual cost was €83.88 when the service first arrived in Ireland in 2012, with just one entry-level price offered at the time.
That represents an increase of about 172 per cent in 14 years on the price of a standard package.
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In 2014, Netflix rolled out a tiered pricing system in Ireland for the first time, with the cost depending on how many users were accessing the service and the quality of the streaming on offer.
It has continued to offer a multi-tiered system since then.
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The latest round of price increases will see the streamer’s cheapest plan climbing from €10.99 to €11.99. Its top-end premium plan, which allows subscribers to stream on four devices simultaneously, is going from €23.99 to €25.99.
While the price hikes apply immediately to all new customers, the exact timing of the increase for those who already pay for the service will depend on when a customer signed up and where they stand in the company’s billing cycle.
It is anticipated that all Irish subscribers are likely to be paying the higher prices by the middle of next month.
The company has rolled out a cheaper, ad-based model in some jurisdictions. It is anticipated that cheaper streaming will be made available to Irish customers who are willing to watch ads, but there is no timeline for the roll-out of the service.
A Netflix spokeswoman said its streaming service “continues to offer a range of prices and plans to meet a variety of needs, and as we deliver more value to our members, we reinvest in quality entertainment and improve their experience by updating our prices”.
She said consumers “have never had more choices in entertainment, and we’re committed to delivering an experience that meets and exceeds their expectations”.
