Netflix lowers prices in 100+ territories as scrutiny grows over password-sharing rules

Netflix decreased its subscription costs in more than 100 territories over the past week or so as customers continue to contemplate which streaming services to keep amid price hikes. The price drop has occurred in Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Libya, Iran, Kenya, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Venezuela, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, among others.

The amount that Netflix is lowering its prices varies from country to country, but discounts for the basic tier range between 20% and 60%, according to Ampere Analysis. The research and analytics firm estimated that the price drop affects more than 4% of Netflix’s subscriber base, which is over 10 million people.

Netflix’s Twitter account in Malaysia announced the good news to local customers, tweeting, “Starting today, our Basic Plan in Malaysia is now RM28 per month for both new and existing members.” The plan used to cost RM35 per month.

The move is slightly surprising given the current industry trend — but also, not really. Netflix has been under fire lately after rolling out password-sharing rules to Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. The changes will roll out to more countries in the coming months. This has sparked a wave of subscriber complaints across social media platforms. Netflix is the only streamer to charge its customers a fee for sharing their passwords. So, it’s possible that Netflix could be lowering prices to redeem itself.

Another potential reason for the price decrease is to fare against the competition. Paramount+, Apple TV+, Disney+ and Hulu are the most recent Netflix rivals to increase their subscription prices. Plus, Peacock recently removed its free tier as an option for new customers.

“We know members have never had more choices when it comes to entertainment,” a Netflix spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. The spokesperson added that Netflix is committed to delivering an experience that exceeds expectations.

The company was not immediately available to respond to TechCrunch.

This isn’t the first time Netflix lowered the price of its service to win over subscribers. In 2021, the streamer made cuts to the subscription price in India, cutting each monthly subscription plan’s price by a minimum of 18% and up to 60.1%.