Netflix revealed on Tuesday that they added a record number of subscribers in the final quarter of 2024, thanks in large part to two premium live sports events late last year: the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight in November and an NFL doubleheader on Christmas Day.
But unfortunately for subscribers, this type of premium content seems to be coming at a price. Netflix also announced on Tuesday that they are raising prices for each one of its subscription tiers in the United States, effective immediately.
Per multiple reports, Netflix’s Standard tier will increase from $15.49 per month to $17.99 per month. Its Standard with Ads tier will increase from $6.99 per month to $7.99 per month. And its Premium tier will increase from $22.99 per month to $24.99 per month.
It is the first time Netflix has raised prices since October 2023.
No doubt, the cost of live sports rights could (in part) be driving Netflix’s price hikes. The streamer has recently become more aggressive in its bids for live sports properties. In addition to its Christmas Day NFL package, which the streamer paid $150 million for in 2024, Netflix secured rights to the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cup last month. No financial details have been reported on that deal.
Perhaps the most important live property for Netflix right now is its weekly broadcast of WWE’s Raw franchise. Per Brandon Ross of the media analysis firm LightShed Partners, viewership for the series has hit a five-year high in the United States since debuting on Netflix earlier this month.
The silver lining for sports fans, if there is one, is that there is no need to purchase any of the ad-free tiers of Netflix if one is only subscribing for live content. Live sports on Netflix still have the same advertising load as a traditional broadcast regardless of tier, so there’s no advantage to paying extra for a higher tier.
Still, it’s yet another sign that the cost of watching live sports continues to get more expensive.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.