Netflix has been changing a lot about its pricing policy in recent months, and apparently, it is facing a lot of backlash. MeinMMO author Nikolas Hernes also sees problems in Netflix’s current development that are causing him to enjoy the streaming service less and less.
In recent months, I mainly see Netflix in a negative light in the headlines. Account sharing and possible price increases (via GameStar) are causing many users to raise their eyebrows.
I have had Netflix for a long time and fundamentally understand that in current times with inflation and so on, prices cannot remain the same. Netflix cites the following reasons for the increase (via abc7chicago):
- Higher production costs
- The demand for streaming services is decreasing after the pandemic
- After the recent strikes in Hollywood, costs will go even higher
But I see a much bigger problem within Netflix and its offerings. This leaves a bitter aftertaste with the new pricing policy.
Netflix and its original productions
Over the years, Netflix has produced many pop culture-relevant hits. Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Wednesday were huge hits and are getting new sequels. But many of the productions that Netflix claims are the most successful simply aren’t my kind of entertainment.
With an action movie like Red Notice, Netflix celebrated its biggest film success to date, as the colleagues from Filmstarts report. And films like Bird Box or 6 Underground seem to be really successful. Sometimes you just need a movie where you can switch off your brain and enjoy the evening.
Additionally, Netflix seems to have developed a liking for reality TV formats. When you go to the homepage and see titles like Love is Blind or Too Hot To Handle, you start to wonder if you’ve ended up on RTL 2.
But these formats and films are indeed successful. It is a personal problem that I have with this content.
According to a Bloomberg report, Netflix calculates its shows using an Efficiency Score. If a format costs 10 million dollars and reaches 10 million users, the score is 1x. The higher the Efficiency Score, the better for a show. But watch time is also important, as Netflix describes in a own blog post.
A few weeks ago, Variety reported that Netflix is restructuring in the animation sector, and people are losing their jobs as well. This makes me really sad because films like The Mitchells vs. the Machines or Nimona are incredibly good original productions.
Netflix indeed makes the productions that many people want to see, and if my shows and movies aren’t successful hits, then I need to look elsewhere.
The price increases and the customers
Blocking account sharing caused a huge uproar on social media. People wrote that they would cancel Netflix. And the price increase and the new subscription with ads received negative comments.
In a survey on MeinMMO, Gamestar, and Gamepro, we asked readers about their current status with the Netflix subscription regarding the new price increases. The question was, If Netflix raises prices again in Germany, I will….
More than half of the 20,084 votes cast (54%) responded with cancel my subscription
. 27% have no Netflix subscription, 14% would keep it going, and 5% would switch plans.
I believe this is also due to the offerings.
Sure, for big events like Wednesday, many people will subscribe again. Whether they will stay long is hard to say given the current developments.
But these are just voices from the community because Netflix’s numbers show that the company is currently doing well.
As The New York Times reported, Netflix was able to gain 9 million users in the third quarter of 2023. Apparently, there has been no noticeable backlash from many users. And the formats, series, and films they are making still seem to attract many users.
Of course, not everything is bad
Everyone has different tastes, and this year Netflix has released many things that I really liked. Beef was a fantastic series about suppressed anger and rage, and I had an incredible amount of fun with the delightfully honest Muscle Mayhem. The new short films by Wes Anderson are also fantastic.
If the trend continues with Paramount Plus and more and more streaming services, Netflix will lose many classics in the coming years. The provider will then need to impress even more with original productions. I hope Netflix focuses more on quality than quantity because otherwise the service won’t be worth it for me anymore.
The question of whether Netflix improves is more about myself.
If the content Netflix produces continues not to give me what I want, then I will probably cancel. Regarding the company itself and its current success, Netflix probably doesn’t need to change anything.
What do you think of Netflix’s current pricing policy – have you perhaps already canceled? Write it in the comments.
If you are still using the streaming service and are in the Halloween mood because of the season, here are some series recommendations:
10 series on Netflix that are perfect for the Halloween season
