Netflix has dropped its prices in more than 100 countries, mostly developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, according to new data analysis.
According to data from Ampere Analysis, the countries that saw price drops over the past week included Bulgaria and Croatia in Europe, major Middle East markets such as Egypt and Iran, smaller Latin American countries such as Belize and the Dominican Republic, Asian island nations like the Philippines and Timor-Leste, and a score of African countries from Lesotho to Senegal. The U.S. did not get a price drop.
The amount that subscription prices were lowered varies from country to country, but data shows that, for the basic tier subscription, most countries’ discounts ranged by 20-40%.
Netflix Malaysia announced the price drop on Twitter this week.
Kali ni, dropping down is good news  Starting today, our Basic Plan in Malaysia is now RM28 per month for both new and existing members. pic.twitter.com/lcqMpHDJW1
— Netflix Malaysia (@NetflixMY) February 21, 2023
The price drop is expected to affect nearly 10 million people, about 4% of Netflix subscribers.
The change comes as prices rise across the streaming industry. Apple+, Disney+ and Hulu are just some of the biggest subscription services that have increased their prices over the last few months.
Netflix is caught in a controversy over its change in password sharing policy, which it rolled out in Canada, Portugal, New Zealand and Spain, with plans to expand it to other markets in the coming months.
The change in policy, which would limit the number of devices that could be attached to one account, sparked an almost immediate backlash from customers. Market experts theorize that the price drops could be a way to redeem the reputation of the company and possibly soften the blow of the coming password-sharing policy.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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