Netflix price increase kicks in today

Netflix is getting more expensive as of today, with the streaming movie and TV service raising its prices across the board, though initially it'll only affect new signups. The increase had been heralded back in April, with Netflix blaming the rising cost of creating its own unique shows, as well as the overall larger size of its streaming catalog.

The new prices – which take effect today, for new registrations to Netflix's service in the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe – are $1, £1, or €1 greater than they were before. So, in the US, a month of Netflix subscription will be $8.99, rather than the $7.99 it has been so far.

At the time of the initial warning, Netflix had suggested prices could rise by as much as two dollars per month in the US.

In the UK, a month of service is now £6.99, while in Europe it has risen to €8.99. Existing subscribers in all regions have been grandfathered into their existing plans, however, with Netflix saying that those old prices will be preserved for two years.

Netflix's investment in its content and technology has seen it commission TV series like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, as well as push 4K resolution despite the fact that only a small proportion of viewers have the required TVs to watch Ultra HD.

The company has also licensed out that content to other providers, such as a deal to put House of Cards on Comcast Xfinity. However, there have also been perhaps unexpected outlays, like having to pay first Comcast and then subsequently Verizon for stable access to their broadband subscribers.