Netflix subscriber numbers bounce back as it cracks down on sharing

Netflix has reversed the decline in subscribers that it faced earlier in the year, reporting it has added 2.4 million new subscribers in the last quarter.

The region that saw the most new subscribers is the Asia Pacific region where 1.4 million new accounts were opened.

The company's original forecasts predicted 1 million new subscribers in the last 3 months, which was well and truly beaten with the help of popular Netflix original shows such as Stranger Things and Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

Another way that Netflix has been able to turn around its decline in subscribers is by staggering the release of popular shows. One example of this can be seen in the approach to the popular show, Stranger Things.

Netflix strategically decided to release the first 7 episodes of the show's 4th season in one go in May, and leave viewers waiting for answers after a cliffhanger at the end of the 7th episode.

The final two episodes of the season weren’t released until a month later, leaving plenty of time for anticipation to build and fans to spread their own storyline theories, creating more publicity and buzz around the show.

Other popular streaming platforms are also using this method to encourage people to continue their subscriptions for longer.

Netflix to crackdown on password sharing

Despite their big uptake in subscribers, Netflix says it will be cracking down on people who are sharing their passwords with friends and family to watch for free.

To stop people from password sharing, Netflix will start charging an extra monthly fee for extra users who live outside of your household and use your account. This new fee is set to start next year.

This system was trialled across Latin America where it cost users an extra $2.99 US per month, which is equivalent to approximately $4.70 AUD.

New "Profile Transfer" feature

For those who don’t want to pay the extra fee and plan on blocking their free loading friends from their accounts, Netflix has just made switching easier.

The streaming service announced its new feature “Profile Transfer” which allows users to transfer their data including viewing history, settings and recommendations from one account to another.

You can use this new feature on the Netflix website by clicking on your profile icon on the top right hand corner and clicking the “Transfer Profile” option.

New Basic With Ads Plan lands in Australia 3 November 2022

Netflix will also be launching a new cheaper subscription option called Basic With Ads.This subscription will cost Aussies $6.99 per month, which is $4 cheaper than the Basic Plan.

It’s available in 12 countries including Australia, the UK and the US from 3 November and will be launched in other countries such as Spain a week later on 10 November.

The Basic With Ads subscription will allow users to access a wide range of content, however not everything will be available on this plan. Viewers will have an average of 4-5 minutes of ads per hour of streaming and unfortunately will not be able to download content to watch when offline on the Basic With Ads plan.

This cheaper plan is a good option for someone who only uses Netflix occasionally and wants to cut down on the amount they are paying for streaming subscriptions.

Need something new to watch? Check out our What’s New To Netflix Guide!

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