Netflix is at it again with another price hike in 2025, following a year of subscriber growth. But instead of celebrating their success with customer-friendly practices, they’ve decided to hit loyal users with higher bills. And it’s not just Netflix, it’s streaming services across the board are starting to resemble the cable companies we all left behind years ago. It’s sad that Netflix raising prices again, even after so many customers experienced bad quality with constant buffering last year on November 15, 2024 when Mike Tyson fought Jake Paul.
Let’s get into Netflix’s price hike, the shady practices plaguing the streaming world, and why this all feels like a legal scam.
Netflix Raising Prices in 2025
Here’s how much Netflix will cost you this year:
- Standard Plan Without Ads: Jumping from $15.49 to $17.99/month (+$2.50).
- Standard Plan With Ads: Now $7.99/month, up from $6.99 (+$1).
- Premium Plan (4K): Increasing from $22.99 to $24.99/month (+$2).
For those keeping track, that means:
- Standard ad-free subscribers will now shell out $215.88 annually, up from $185.88.
- Premium users are looking at $299.88 per year, compared to $275.88.
These “small” increases add up, especially when combined with subscriptions to other platforms. What was once an affordable alternative to cable is now becoming a pricey monthly burden.
Streaming Is Starting to Feel Like a Scam
Netflix and other platforms are making it harder to justify their costs. Here’s how:
- “Ad-Free” Plans Still Show Ads
If you’re paying for ad-free streaming, you’d expect zero interruptions, right? Wrong. Platforms still show promotional ads for their own content, even on their priciest plans. It’s a sneaky way of bending the definition of “ad-free” and squeezing more value from paying customers. - Lower Plans Lock You Out of Features
Subscribers on Netflix’s basic plans can’t access certain content, such as 4K video quality. So, even if you’re paying, you’re stuck with a watered-down version of the service unless you upgrade. - Password Sharing Crackdowns Punish Travelers and Families
Netflix’s restrictions on password sharing hurt families, college students, and frequent travelers who use the service on the go. From hotel stays to dorm rooms, users are being penalized for doing exactly what streaming was designed for, which was convenience and portability.
The Entertainment Insdustry Struck Back
Let’s not forget: the entertainers themselves, the actors and writers who create the content we love, recently went on strike because they weren’t being paid fairly. While platforms like Netflix raked in billions, many of these creators were struggling to make ends meet.
The strike highlighted a grim reality: streaming companies are profiting off both customers and creators, leaving everyone else to feel exploited. While Netflix raises prices and restricts access, entertainers have had to fight for their fair share of a system that’s been rigged against them from the start.
How Netflix Hooks Subscribers With Black Entertainers
Netflix knows how to draw in viewers, particularly with specials and partnerships featuring Black entertainers. From groundbreaking comedy specials to inspirational series, these projects bring in diverse audiences and create major buzz.
But while Netflix benefits financially, they continue to raise prices and tighten restrictions, alienating the very subscribers who support these entertainers. The optics are clear: they’ll gladly profit off cultural moments without reinvesting in better practices for customers or creators.
Streaming vs. Cable: What’s the Difference Now?
Streaming was supposed to be the solution to overpriced cable bundles. But with the rising costs and sneaky practices, it’s becoming just as bad:
- Rising Costs: Subscribing to multiple services can easily total $80 or more per month, basically a cable bill.
- Hidden Fees: Want 4K quality or offline downloads? Prepare to pay extra.
- Ad Intrusions: Even on ad-free plans, promotional content interrupts your viewing.
- Shrinking Value: Libraries are shrinking, and content is being split across countless platforms.
Streaming services are making the same mistakes that drove customers away from cable in the first place.
Legal Scamming Customers
Streaming companies, led by Netflix, are walking a fine line. Their greed is alienating customers and creators alike.
People subscribed to streaming because it was simple, affordable, and flexible. Now, it’s full with hidden fees, price hikes, and ridiculous, frustrating restrictions. If they don’t stop nickel and diming people, they might find themselves losing the trust and loyalty of their audiences.
As customers, it’s time to ask: Are these services still worth the price? Or are we being scammed out of our hard-earned money? The answer is YES it is a legal scam.
Streaming companies, take note: We see what you’re doing and we’re not going to keep falling for your legal scams. Subscribers have already started cancelling your streaming services. Stop robbing the people that keep you in business!
