While Netflix is attempting to squeeze more money out of Canadians by charging for password sharing, it’s cutting the cost of its streaming service in parts of Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.
The cuts apply to specific pricing tiers, with the cost being discounted by half in some countries. In a statement to several publications, Netflix said the following regarding the price cuts:
“We’re always exploring ways to improve our members’ experience. We can confirm that we are updating the pricing of our plans in certain countries.”
Canada, the U.S. and most of Europe are not included in the list of countries receiving a discount. As of February 21st, Netflix is charging $7.99 per person to share your streaming account with friends or family on top of the standard monthly subscription cost, and this option is only available to ‘Premium’ ($20.99/month) and ‘Standard’ ($16.49/month) subscribers.
Given we’re only a few days into Netflix’s password sharing crackdown, it’s still unclear how the streaming giant intends to enforce the new rules, though it’s assumed those using someone else’s Netflix account will eventually be locked out based on their IP address. According to Netflix, subscribers must log into their Netflix account from their home internet connection (with their smartphone, for example) once every 30 days to access the streaming service outside of their homes. Netflix’s password sharing fee is also rolling out in New Zealand, Portugal and Spain first before eventually making its way to other regions.
Specific countries that have received a Netflix price cut include Kenya, Iran, Venezuela, Croatia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Netflix is currently available in 190 countries.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
