Netflix Hikes Prices In The US – The UK May Be Next

If you’re a Netflix subscriber in the UK, you might want to brace yourself – because if history is any guide, your monthly bill is about to get a little heavier.

Netflix has just raised its prices in the United States for the second time in just over a year, with all three of its plans going up.

And while there’s no announcement yet for the UK, we’ve seen this exact playbook before: the US goes first, and the UK follows within weeks.

We called it last January – right down to the exact price increases – and the UK hike landed just two weeks later. We wouldn’t be surprised if the same happens this year.

What’s Changed in the US?

Netflix quietly updated its US pricing on March 26, 2026. Here’s how the new American prices look:

• Standard with Ads: $8.99/month (up $1 from $7.99)
• Standard: $19.99/month (up $2 from $17.99)
• Premium: $26.99/month (up $2 from $24.99)
• Extra Member (with ads): $6.99/month (up $1)
• Extra Member (ad-free): $9.99/month (up $1)

New US subscribers are already paying the higher prices. Existing members will be moved over gradually, with Netflix promising at least 30 days’ notice by email before the new prices hit their account.

Netflix’s justification, as ever, is that rising prices reflect “more value” for members – pointing to its growing slate of live events, video podcasts, and content spend of over $20 billion planned for 2026.

Whether you feel you’re getting more value is, of course, a personal question.

A Familiar Pattern

Netflix has form here. UK price rises have been a regular occurrence – with increases hitting in October 2023, and then again in February 2025 – each time following a US increase a few weeks earlier.

This latest rise also comes hot on the heels of Netflix walking away from its proposed $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery – meaning the company is now redirecting that ambition (and cash) into its own platform instead.

More investment, more content, more reasons – in Netflix’s eyes, at least – to charge you more for it.

What Are Netflix’s UK Prices Right Now?

Before we get to the speculation, here’s where UK prices currently stand:

Standard with Ads (£5.99/month)

• Full HD (1080p) streaming
• Up to two devices at once
• Most of Netflix’s content library (with some exclusions due to licensing)
• Several minutes of adverts per hour
• Downloads on one device

Standard (£12.99/month)

• Full HD (1080p) streaming
• Up to two devices at once
• No adverts
• Full content library
• Downloads on two devices
• Option to add one Extra Member: £4.99/month (with ads) or £5.99/month (without ads)

Premium (£18.99/month)

• Ultra HD (4K) and HDR where available
• Up to four devices at once
• No adverts
• Full content library
• Downloads on up to six devices
• Spatial audio
• Option to add up to two Extra Members: £4.99/month each (with ads) or £5.99/month each (without ads)

So, What Might UK Prices Look Like Next?

This is the speculative bit – and it’s worth stressing that Netflix hasn’t announced anything for the UK yet.

But based on the US increases, and applying the same pattern of rises we saw play out last year, here’s our best guess at what UK subscribers might end up paying:

• Standard with Ads: £6.99/month (up £1)
• Standard: £14.99/month (up £2)
• Premium: £20.99/month (up £2)
• Extra Member: up £1 across the board

Last year, our predictions were spot on – so take these as educated guesses rather than confirmed numbers.

Netflix could choose different amounts, or stagger the increases differently. Or maybe this year they’ll spare us Brits? Probably not.

What About Bundle Subscribers?

If you get Netflix as part of a package through Sky, Virgin Media, or EE, don’t assume you’ll be immune.

These providers typically adjust their bundle pricing whenever Netflix’s own prices change – either by absorbing some of the cost, passing it on directly, or quietly restructuring what’s included.

We saw exactly this happen in 2025, and there’s no reason to think it’ll be different this time.

If you’re on a bundle that includes Netflix, it’s worth keeping an eye on any communications from your provider – though this usually doesn’t happen right away.

The Bigger Picture

Netflix ended 2025 with 325 million paid subscribers and revenue of $45.2 billion – up 16% year on year. It’s a business that is, by any measure, thriving. And yet the prices keep going up.

The company’s argument is that it keeps delivering more – more content, new formats, live events – and that the price reflects that.

Some subscribers will agree. Others, particularly those already juggling multiple streaming services, will find the maths increasingly hard to justify.

And of course, Netflix is not alone – most major streaming services have turned price increases into a festive annual event – either by increasing prices directly, or by making changes to their tiers and plans.

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