Who can still afford that? Netflix and Co. must not continue like this
TV, streaming, driving, energy, shopping – prices are climbing almost everywhere. Heating in winter, eating and drinking, for many people the car – all of this is indispensable. So where should you save? The streaming services are taking a dangerous course with their pricing policy, now more than ever.
A comment by Felix Gräber
Amazon raises prices for Prime customers! This headline has recently attracted attention. It’s not yet about the German market – but only for the moment.
Bad sign for streaming customers: Amazon wants more money
The last price adjustment for Amazon’s Prime offer – including Prime Video, Amazon Music, faster, free delivery – was years ago for German customers. Of the next video streaming price hike won’t be much longer in coming, when it comes to music, the time has already come.
In the US, it now charges $14.99 per month, the equivalent of just over 13 euros. Meanwhile, German customers only pay 7.99 euros per month or 69 euros for a year. If you break that down to the monthly price, US customers pay more than twice as much.
Netflix is also not above regular price adjustments, the latest juicy increase has only just arrived in Europe. It’s no different with Disney+ and Sky. However, the enfant terrible of the industry is DAZN. From now on, the streaming service recently raised the price for the annual subscription to previously unknown heights: 275 euros are currently due, the monthly price is doubled from 14.99 euros to 29.99 euros. These are no longer simply salted prices, that is inedible.
Prices are rising – what’s left for Netflix, Amazon and Co?
In addition, there is a look at the general situation: the costs for shopping, for electricity, gas and heating oil, petrol or diesel, together with inflation, have already climbed to unimagined heights this year. The Russian attack on Ukraine has further accelerated inflation since then.
Actually, Netflix and Co. have great potential to offer distraction even in troubled times, thanks to their diverse program. Besides all the necessities you just have to be able to afford it.
Many tenants are forced to pay for the classic cable TV connection anyway, thanks to the ancillary cost privilege. If there are extra costs for HD reception, calculated over the year, it quickly slips into the three-digit range. Only then do the costs for one, and often even several, streaming services or pay TV providers come into play.
Streaming services can result in an additional annual cost of up to several hundred euros. Not everyone can afford that. If the expenses that are really necessary increase, the potential number of customers is likely to continue to shrink – not a good prospect for Amazon and Co. Netflix is already clearly feeling the headwind. And it’s doubtful that new price hikes are the way to go.
Do you still have money? Then nothing stands in the way of another streaming subscription:
Streaming vs. linear TV: who will win?
But the situation also offers an opportunity: namely, when more and more consumers make a conscious decision against traditional television So decide to save elsewhere. This is where Netflix and Co. can be particularly convincing, in contrast to linear television, they offer the undeniable advantage of constant availability – also known as on-demand. On the other hand, many people do not want to do without daily news on TV, especially in the current situation.
Are we expecting new, cheap offers from the streaming services, not just constant price increases? Also possible! Because there is one thing neither consumers nor those responsible at Netflix, Disney+, Amazon and all the others want: That streaming will soon only be for the rich.
