Credit: NetflixIn the latest unpopular move by a major streaming service, Netflix is updating its subscription model once again. As Netflix has previously been credited with starting other moves followed by other streaming platforms, this could mean trouble for Disney+, Hulu, and other subscribers.
Netflix has continued to dominate the streaming sphere with the popular original series Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams and produced by Tim Burton. The series follows Wednesday as the main protagonist of the Addams family in a new venture at a new school. The series also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Luis Guzmán as Gomez, Christina Ricci as Marilyn Thornhill, and Percy Hynes White Xavier Thorpe.
Stranger Things also continues its success with much anticipation for the fifth and final season, expected to be released in 2025. The show follows a group of kids from Hawkins, Indiana, as they deal with monsters and creatures from the supernatural realm of the Upside Down, working together to save their world and protect their families. The show stars Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, and Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers.
Last year marked a turning point in the landscape of streaming platforms. After years of troubled profits and decreasing box-office numbers, many studios that had separated and decided to offer audiences separate streaming platforms have had to scramble to figure out how to recoup significant losses. Netflix had rocked subscribers a while ago by announcing that it would be cracking down on password sharing, stating that only users in the same household would be able to access the same account. That policy was finally implemented last year and has been making its way across accounts in the following months.
Other platforms quickly followed suit, with the newly merged Disney+ and Hulu announcing they would be looking into a similar policy, which will finally be rolled out in March. In the recent earnings call from the Walt Disney Company, CEO Bob Iger credited Netflix for leading the charge. Several streamers also announced increases in their subscription prices as well as the introduction of ad-based tiers, bringing commercials back to streaming while charging subscribers more for it.
Disney+ also recently confirmed it was working on including shoppable links within its content, which would allow viewers to shop the things they see onscreen. The combination of all these efforts results in a poor viewing experience for the audience, with many online considering returning to regular cable in response. Despite the general outrage, both Netflix and Disney+ revealed increased subscriber numbers, proving that despite the unpopularity, the policies are doing exactly what they’re meant to do. Now, Netflix is slowly rolling out a new update that’s sure to continue to inspire changes at Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+, as well as others.
Filmmaker Joe Russo (@joerussotweets) recently reshared a screenshot on X (formerly Twitter) (originally shared with him by @Sauce_Se7en) of a Netflix screen for the 2023 horror flick Thanksgiving. The image tells the subscriber that the film is “Unavailable on an ad-supported plan due to licensing restrictions” and encourages him to “change plan to watch.”
“And so it begins. Netflix has been threatening to tier off content for different subscription levels. I’m honestly shocked to see it start with a licensed movie, like Eli Roth’s THANKSGIVING, and not an original, but… here we are. You’ll have to pay more to give thanks.”
And so it begins.
Netflix has been threatening to tier off content for different subscription levels. I’m honestly shocked to see it start with a licensed movie, like Eli Roth’s THANKSGIVING, and not an original, but… here we are.
You’ll have to pay more to give thanks. https://t.co/9q9YXGlDGu
— Joe Russo (@joerussotweets) February 21, 2024
In a follow-up comment, Russo adds that it’s been reported that it’s been happening for months, although this is the first time he (and us here at Inside the Magic) are hearing about it. Depending on how well it works, Netflix could once again start a trend of streamers resorting to “tiered off” content, putting various shows and movies behind a higher paywall and subscription tier in order to bring in more money.
It’s unclear exactly which shows are affected under which subscription tiers, but it’s possible that Netflix could eventually put future seasons of its more successful original series behind this restriction as well. This could affect popular shows like Wednesday Season 2 or Stranger Things Season 5. If it carries over to Disney+, it could affect future original releases like some of the Marvel series, including Daredevil: Born Again or Agatha, or even the beloved Star Wars series, like Andor and The Mandalorian. Be sure to read policy updates carefully so you aren’t caught off guard the next time your streaming platform of choice changes unexpectedly.
What do you think about Netflix’s newest update? Will Disney+ follow suit? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.