Netflix revises US subscription rates, India prices remain unchanged
Washington: Streaming platform Netflix has raised subscription prices across all its plans in the United States and select international markets, while retaining existing pricing in India.
According to Reuters, the new rates are now shown on the company's website, with the ad-supported subscription is priced at $8.99 per month. This is an increase from $7.99. The standard plan has been hiked by $2 to $19.99 per month. The premium plan will now cost $26.99, up from $24.99 before. The fee for adding additional members has also been reduced to $7.99 for ad-supported accounts and $9.99 for ad-free subscriptions.
The rates are raised due to the company's broadening plan of its programming, which is slated to include formats such as live sporting events and video podcasts. The platform, which has more than 325 million subscribers globally, had discontinued its lowest-priced ad-free “Basic” plan in 2023, narrowing its offerings to standard with ads, standard without ads and premium tiers.
Analysts at TD Cowen estimate the changes could raise the company’s average revenue per user in the US-Canada region by around 6 per cent year-on-year in 2026, while for the October-December quarter, Netflix reported revenue of $12.1 billion, marginally exceeding analysts’ expectations.
Earlier this year, the company stepped back from bidding for certain streaming and studio assets of Warner Bros., clearing the way for Paramount Skydance to acquire the Hollywood studio in a deal valued at $110 billion.
The recent price adjustments have been implemented in the United States and select markets including Portugal, Argentina and Canada. In India, however, subscription charges remain unchanged.
Netflix offers monthly plans in India starting at ₹149 for mobile, ₹199 for basic, ₹499 for standard, and ₹649 for premium.
The standard plan enables viewing on two devices simultaneously with 1080p resolution and allows downloads on two supported devices. The premium plan permits streaming on up to four devices at the same time, supports 4K (Ultra HD) and HDR quality, enables downloads on six devices and includes spatial audio support.
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Defeat of Constitution Amendment Bill betrayal of nation's woman power: Adityanath
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats of the Lok Sabha "betrayal of the woman power" of the nation.
A Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated on Friday.
In a post on X in Hindi, late on Friday night, Adityanath said, "Today, a dark chapter has been added to the history of India's great democracy. The Opposition's obstruction of the passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill essential for the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' is a blow to the honour of 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India). It is a betrayal of the entire woman power of the nation; it is an infringement upon their democratic rights.
"The Congress-led 'INDI' alliance has exposed its anti-women mindset. The women of the nation are watching and understanding everything. They will remember this deceit and injustice, and when the time comes, they will surely give a reply. Under the leadership of our Prime Minister @narendramodi ji, the NDA alliance will continue its unwavering efforts to protect the honour, dignity, and rights of women, and to ensure their empowerment."
While 298 members voted in support of the Bill in the Lok Sabha, 230 MPs voted against it. The Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
According to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in state and Union Territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
This was for the first time that a Bill under the Modi government was defeated in Parliament.
