Netflix has tested and is likely to roll out a new model that will get rid of profiles and move to extra-cost sub-accounts in the near future.
Netflix was one of the pioneering platforms for online streaming and is still the most popular platform for streaming content among the general public to this day.
However, after a decline in subscription numbers, Netflix has decided to crack down on password-sharing. This includes plans to do away with profiles and move to a sub-account model that is likely to be rolled out worldwide soon.
Do people still subscribe to Netflix in 2023?
When Netflix first started offering its subscribers the option to stream their content via the internet in 2007, it changed the concept of home entertainment entirely.
However, even though Netflix was the pioneer of the online streaming world in many ways, other companies like Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon, Paramount Network, The Walt Disney Company and more, have all created their own streaming services and the landscape has become more competitive than ever.
Even with this increased competition, Netflix recovered after a difficult year and still ended the first half of 2022 as the top streaming service in the world, with over 220 million subscribers in total.
Are Netflix profiles going away?
With the ever-increasing number of streaming services available to subscribers, many friends and families have adopted what is referred to as a shared-password approach.
However, platforms like Netflix have vowed to put an end to this practice and the subsequent decline in subscriber numbers for good.
Netflix is clearly still the top streaming service for subscribers all across the world, however, the company had a disappointing year in 2022 and lost 200 000 subscribers in the first quarter of the year.
As a result, Netflix has announced that a number of changes will come in 2023 which are intended to improve the company’s overall revenue while giving subscribers more control of and options on their accounts.
Although no official announcements have been made for how Netflix will implement their anti-password sharing approach in the United States and other countries just yet, the platform has rolled out a number of changes in Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala as part of the new model.
As a result, it may not be long until these changes are implemented globally.
With this changed model, Netflix will no longer allow users on the platform to have up to five profiles on a single account.
These profiles will now have to be added as additional sub-accounts that will cost an extra $2.99 per month, but this will give the account holder more control over the devices and sub-accounts moving forward.
Fortunately, it seems as though Netflix has put their singular home streaming plans to rest for now.
What will happen to the old profiles if you do not want to add a sub-account?
Given that Netflix is already one of the most expensive subscription streaming services on the market, many users will not want to pay the additional fee for a sub-account or extra members.
Fortunately, people who used to share an account and want to move to their own account to avoid becoming an extra member can have their old profile transferred to their new Netflix account.
This will give you access to your old watch history and lists on your new account.
What are the benefits of the new sub-account model?
Netflix cracking down on password-sharing has upset many users who have been sharing their accounts with family and friends for years.
However, the platform has tried to introduce new benefits in the new sub-account model to soften the blow.
This includes the fact that it will be much easier to manage the “users” on the new sub-account models and the fact that account holders will be able to manage the streaming devices of these users much more effectively under this new model when it is implemented.
Other recent changes to Netflix’s subscription prices
Although Netflix has not rolled out these proposed changes to all of their accounts yet, the platform has increased its subscription prices for 2023 but also introduced a new ad-supported plan.
This plan is supposed to be a more affordable option with a limited library of content.
