NETFLIX subscribers could see their bill jump by a fiver next month as the streamer punishes users who share their account.
An expert shared his shock prediction with Paint Ball Beam after the tough new rules kicked in across several countries this week.
Canadians were told they’d be charged an extra CAD$7.99 a month for account sharing, while in Spain it’s 5.99 euros.
Therefore, Brits and Americans can expect similar charges to the tune of £5 / $5.
“For the UK expect pricing to be around a fiver, give or take,” Paolo Pescatore, analyst at PP Foresight said.
“It is likely to be between the cost of the basic plan with ads and the general basic plan without ads.
“Therefore, expect a similar approach in other core markets like the US.”
Netflix has warned for a while that it will crackdown on account sharing with people outside your household, after a long time of turning a blind-eye.
The Stranger Things hit-maker accidentally revealed a few weeks ago that it will detect whether your devices are used at your main location – ie home – at least once every 30 days.
Otherwise, that device will be blocked.
The only way you’ll be able to get around it is by paying extra.
Netflix is expected to complete its new crackdown everywhere sometime in March or April.
“It is getting ever so harder to predict consumer behaviour given the ongoing cost of living crisis,” Paolo added.
“While many users and households will strongly reconsider their current telecom and media needs, Netflix remains an indispensable source for TV viewing given its vast and breadth of programming available.
“Highly unlikely that people will cancel.
“Ultimately it will be come down to the appetite among those individual users who are currently benefiting from free access to pay that little bit extra for it.”
Mo Harber-Lamond, VPN Editor at TechRadar, warned it could lead to increased piracy.
“Netflix’s sweeping measures to curtail account sharing appear to have very little scope to allow for exceptions – and if consumers can’t access what they want on the services they pay for, turning to piracy will no doubt be the next step,” he said.
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