Netflix has announced that it is to start trialling charging users for sharing accounts with people outside their household.
It seems like the days of sharing Netflix passwords could soon be over.
The streaming service revealed yesterday that it’s launching a trial in which primary account holders will need to pay for users who are outside of their household, and it will mean that, on top of the monthly subscription fee, there will be an additional charge for the use of accounts by people who don’t live together.
Starting in the next few weeks, the scheme will be trailed in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, and features will include ‘add an extra member’, where account holders can ‘sub’ up to two people outside of their households.
Another one of the new features is ‘Transfer Profile to a New Account’, which aims to encourage those sharing someone else’s login to set up their own account, while still staying in control of specific info such as My List, viewing history, and personalised recommendation.
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It’s unclear at this point whether these features will be rolled-out to other countries.
Netflix is trialling charging users for sharing accounts with people outside their household / Credit: Unsplash ( David Balev | Charles Deluvio)
Explaining a little more about the trial, Chengyi Long – Director of Product Innovation at Netflix – says the streaming service has “always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account” by allowing people to create separate profiles on a single subscription.
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But now, accounts being shared between households are said to be “impacting [Netflix’s] ability to invest in great new TV and films for members.”
The end of Netflix password sharing looks to be another shift in the company’s strategy that suggests it is looking toward its existing customers, rather than new subscribers, in order to help grow revenue, and it comes after it announced earlier this month that subscription prices for all new and existing members in the UK and Ireland are rising.
The scheme will be trailed in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru over the coming weeks / Credit: Charles Deluvio (via Unsplash)
In the wake of continuous rising inflation post-pandemic, the leading streaming service has confirmed that the basic and standard plans in the UK will both increase by £1 a month to £6.99 and £10.99 respectively, while the premium tier will go up by £2 to £15.99.
Existing subscribers will be notified by email 30 days before the change comes into effect, depending on their specific billing cycle.
The increase is immediate for new members.
Featured Image – Netflix
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Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre
Daisy Jackson
Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.
Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.
A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.
Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.
It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.
Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
Emily Sergeant -
18th March 2022 
