Netflix raises prices after debut MLB broadcast

If you want to watch the next sports event on Netflix, it’s going to cost you even more.

Netflix announced today that it was raising the prices for its Standard with Ads, Standard, and Premium tiers.

The base Standard with Ads plan will now cost $8.99/month, up a dollar. Standard is now $19.99/month, up $2, while Premium is now $26.99/month, up $3.

In a statement to Variety, Netflix said, “As we deliver more value to our members, we are updating our prices to enable us to reinvest in quality entertainment and improve their experience.”

For now, the updated price tiers will only affect new subscribers. Existing members will receive an email a month before their price increase, according to Variety.

The price increase announcement comes one day after Netflix aired its first Major League Baseball games. For its MLB coverage, Netflix brought in some big names. Barry Bonds, in his broadcasting debut, served as a studio analyst. Elle Duncan, who became the first sportscaster to receive a multi-year contract from Netflix, was the studio host.

Along with the hiring of Duncan, Netflix has greatly increased the number of sports it has aired in recent years. Netflix now has deals in the United States for MLB, the National Football League, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The streaming service has also globally aired major boxing matches and WWE Raw.

There is no clear evidence that the addition of these sporting events directly resulted in these price hikes, but it is unlikely to have stopped them. Such is the world of streaming services these days. As they continue to compete for views, streaming services have been forced to pay up for major sports events. All the while, price hikes for streaming services continue.

So far, consumers have not seriously balked at these price hikes, however. Until they do, streaming services will continue to find reasons to raise prices.