Netflix customers in Ireland are being hit with another price increase this month with the cost of its standard plan set to climb by more than 10 per cent.
It allows two users access the platform’s content on different devices simultaneously and is the one held by most customers.
It will jump in price by €2 a month to €18.99. That means that the annual cost of a subscription to the plan will cost Irish consumers €227.88 compared to an annual cost of €83.88 when the service first arrived in Ireland in early 2012 and offered just one entry level price.
That represents an increase of just over 170 per cent in 14 years on the price of a standard package.
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.
The latest round of price increases will see the streamer’s cheapest plan climbing from €10.99 to €11.99 while its top end premium plan which allows subscribers to stream on four devices simultaneously is going from €23.99 to €25.99.
While the new prices 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 however 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 and while it is anticipated that it will also make cheaper streaming available to Irish customers who are willing to watch ads, there is no timeline for the roll out of the service.
A Netflix spokeswoman said 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”.