Here's Why Netflix Subscription Prices Could Increase Very Soon

© Unsplash/Grant Davies

The change may not be very visible in France, but Netflix is ​​​​making a real transformation. For a few months, in addition to its films, series and documentaries that have made its success, the platform has been offering live sporting events.

For the moment, these broadcasts are done drop by drop, but Netflix is ​​​​very clear on this subject, it is not a coincidence. Sport is going to take an increasingly important place on the streaming service. Because this new market, highly contested by traditional television players, is a real gold mine for SVOD platforms.

They have already won over moviegoers with a catalogue of films and series as long as your arm, and now they have to turn to another audience: sports fans. But this development has a cost for Netflix. The platform has spent millions of dollars to acquire the broadcast rights to several sporting events, starting with the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Logan Paul.

A new market, new prices

Recently, the Christmas NFL game, a real institution in the United States, was broadcast on Netflix. In the words of analyst John Hodulik, this major premiere should “pave the way” for what's to come. The broadcast of this meeting was a huge success for Netflix with 65 million viewers on American soil.

But the arrival of sports on Netflix would have an unfortunate consequence for users, an increase in the price of subscriptions. As a reminder, the SVOD platform has not touched its prices in the United States since the beginning of 2022. A surprising truce when you consider the ability of these competitors to change their prices almost every quarter.

Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, is already preparing the ground in this direction. He stated at a press conference for UBS Media that “future price increases” would be directly linked to “increased engagement and better overall value” of Netflix's offering. In other words, we will pay more, but to see more content.

Netflix and sport: an old romance

The arrival of live sports on Netflix, although recent, is not a surprise. Before taking the plunge, the red N had already made several attempts, surveying its audience. The most famous example is the documentary series made by Netflix around a sport.

“Drive to Survive” for Formula 1, but also “Break Point” on the world of tennis or “Au cœur du peloton” for cycling and as a highlight, the Tour de France. So many broadcasts that have met with global success have pushed Netflix to try its luck in live sports broadcasting.

Competitors already in place

While Netflix was the first streaming platform to emerge worldwide, it is not the first to launch into live sports broadcasting. Its competitors have already set foot in this new market, which they intend to conquer before Netflix.

This is particularly the case for Amazon Prime Video, well-known in France for its broadcast of Ligue 1 and Roland Garros, but also Apple TV+, which has been offering MLS to the world for several months. Apple's platform also broadcasts baseball matches, which are very popular on the other side of the Atlantic.

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