Netflix (NFLX) has raised subscription prices for the second time in just over 14 months, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers and consumer advocates across the country.
The streaming giant increased its standard ad-supported plan to $8.99 per month, up from $7.99, while its ad-free standard tier climbed to $19.99 from $17.99 per month.
The premium tier saw the steepest dollar increase, rising to $26.99 per month from $22.99, representing a jump that consumers and critics say is difficult to justify.
Since 2020, standard tier prices have risen by 29% while premium plans have surged by 39%, increases that far outpace the broader rate of inflation over that same period.
The latest price hike came less than a month after Netflix lost its bid to acquire parts of Warner Bros. Discovery, a failed deal that would have been valued at approximately $72 billion.
Netflix walked away from that acquisition with a $2.8 billion breakup fee, then promptly raised subscription costs for its more than 87.7 million U.S. subscribers.
“Netflix’s ability to raise prices without any significant decline in subscribers is classic evidence of market power,” said Lee Hepner, senior legal counsel with the nonprofit American Economic Liberties Project.
A recent poll found that 44% of respondents said they have considered canceling or downgrading their Netflix plan in the past three months because of rising costs.
Senator Elizabeth Warren offered a pointed assessment of the company’s pricing behavior, saying “Corporate consolidation has created a world where, year after year, Netflix has jacked up prices for millions of customers just because it can.”
The criticism carries added weight given Netflix’s own arguments made to regulators during its pursuit of the Warner Bros. Discovery deal, where co-CEO Ted Sarandos testified that Netflix was a peer of free services like YouTube and TikTok and argued the merger would be “pro-consumer.”
Netflix has now raised its subscription prices six times since 2017, with each successive hike drawing less subscriber resistance than analysts and critics might expect from a competitive market.
The company’s lobbying activity has escalated in parallel with its pricing power, reaching a record high of $3 million in 2025, including the engagement of Ballard Partners to lobby the White House on media regulation.
Ballard Partners is widely regarded as a deeply Trump-tied firm, a strategic choice that signals Netflix’s intent to shape federal media and antitrust policy at the highest levels of government.
Critics argue that Washington must now take a harder look at whether the streaming industry, led by Netflix, has accumulated enough market dominance to warrant regulatory intervention and price scrutiny.
