Netflix is increasing the prices of all of its plans for Kiwis, with its top plan being bumped up 19% to $21.99 per month (see table below).
The price of a Basic Plan, which lets you stream to one device in standard definition, is rising 4% to $11.99 a month.
A Standard Plan, which lets you stream to two devices at the same time in high definition (HD) increases 13% to $16.99.
A Premium Plan, which supports streaming to up to four devices in HD, jumps 19% to $21.99.
The price rises make Netflix more expensive than local contenders Sky TV-owned Neon ($11.99 to $20) and Spark-owned Lightbox ($12.99 to $15.99), and Spark Sport ($20/month) although Netflix can boast a larger lineup of content, a broader range of devices supported, plus the ability to download content to watch later (at least for some series and movies).
A spokeswoman for Spark offered pointed cheekily pointed out that "The current Spark Netflix offer means broadband customers on entertainment plans get Netflix included for as long as they are on the plan, so Spark customers won't be affected by any changes announced today."
Netflix won't say how many subscribers it has in New Zealand (worldwide, it has 151 million) but surveys indicate it has upended the market since its arrival four years ago.
A June 2018 Roy Morgan survey found that nearly two million Kiwis live in a household with Netflix access.
The move comes despite a backlash to a recent round of price rises in the US, which saw Netflix register its first-ever quarterly decline in subscriber numbers in its home market - which in turn sparked a 10% slump in its share price
Netflix has moved into the black over the past few years (it made a profit of $US271 million ($NZ413 million) on revenue of $US4.9 billion in its June quarter).
