I finally decided to cancel my Australian Netflix subscription and I have no regrets. You should probably do it too, here is why.
Netflix has been apart of my life now for 11 years. I happily adopted it into my home back in 2009, and it has kept me company through some troubling times… but now it’s time to say goodbye. Why? Because the services refuses to grow up.
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Netflix broke new grounds when it launched its streaming service in 2007. It was single-handedly responsible for the drop in pirated media on the internet and that’s because, back then, the service was super convenient and affordable.
It was really looking like the days of piracy were over; Australian Netflix offered an extensive catalogue of content ranging from cult classic movies and television series to modern movies. Then, in 2013, they did it yet again by releasing original content.
Nothing has ever lived up to House of Cards
Netflix rebooted the classic UK political drama by bringing it to the American market, and it was a massive hit. The show, starring powerhouse actors such as Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, went on to win at leas 7 awards.
House of Cards became the primary reason to keep your Netflix subscription and it got people excited for more original content.
It used to be affordable… used to be.
In the beginning you could get access to all this content for as little as $8.00 a month.
The $8.00 would get you access to HD streaming on, upto, 5 devices. But then in 2014, after the success of House of Cards, Netflix changed its subscription program by introducing 3 different plans: basic, standard, and premium.
What this meant is that, if you wanted to keep all the same perks you got for $8.00 at the start, you’d have to pay an extra $4.00 a month. You could keep paying $8.00, but you would not be able to stream in HD and the amount of devices that you could stream from simultaneously was limited to just 1.
But $4.00 increase felt like nothing. $12.00 seemed like fair price to pay for Netflix. People became complacent and Netflix took advantage of it.
Netflix price has gone up 150%
The price of Netflix in Australia today is A$20 which is a 150% (A$12) increase making it the most expensive live streaming service currently available.
Its closest competitor in Australia is Stan (HULU’s Australian counterpart) and it’s A$3 cheaper than Netflix. That may now sound like a lot, but that’s A$36 cheaper for the year.
Then you’ve got Disney Plus and Amazon Prime which costs $9 a month each.
If you are subbed to each one of these live streaming services you are roughly paying A$640 a year!
5 reason I decided to cancel Netflix
When it came time to trimming the fat and saving money on streaming I made the decision of cancelling my Netflix subscription. Why?
- Netflix is too expensive:
By cancelling Netflix I’m saving $220 a year. - Too immature:
The new Netflix Originals aren’t pulling me in. The new series seem to be heavily targeting teenagers and young adults. Mature content is rare. - Too political:
The new Netflix originals seem to be a lecturing us on American politics. I don’t care about American politics. - Terrible customer service:
Now that Netflix is well established and a home to some Hollywood elites they don’t give two craps about me, or even my money. - Less content:
Now that Netflix has competition a lot of great content has been pulled and is available on other, cheaper, streaming services.
Hannah Gadsby: Not a comedy special but a TED talk about how men are evil.
At the moment this looks like a final farewell. I have no plans on returning to Netflix, but, although doubtful, I guess that could change. What would it take for me to come back? It’s simple really; price cut and better content.
Should you cancel Netflix? Well, that depends. Are you happy paying A$20 per month for Netflix or do you think it’s too expensive? Let us know in the comments below.