Netflix’s move to control and monetize account sharing has sparked outrage among subscribers in Canada, and pundits are wondering if the American giant thinks it’s stronger than it is.
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“In a competitive world, I feel Netflix overestimates its importance,” said Luc Dupont, professor of communications at the University of Ottawa.
“Netflix is behaving like it did in the good old days, when it was one of the few streaming services,” adds Yan Cimon, a professor in the Management Department at Laval University.
The entertainment giant’s bet is to increase its income by forcing users to subscribe, even if in return some choose to leave the platform or not pay for the higher package. Sharing an account with one or two people who live at a different address can only be done by paying an additional $7.99 per month.
“Is the content on the platform interesting and varied enough that people experiencing disappointments want to subscribe to the more expensive plans? That remains to be seen,” continues Mr. Cimon.
Canadian Netflix subscribers also learned on Friday that they must request a travel code if they want to watch shows at an address other than their own.
Calls to boycott Netflix are rising on social media, with many people announcing they will be opting out. The dropout rate could not be determined at Netflix.
dual standard
In the eyes of Professor Luc Dupont, the double standards make the company look bad, because the decision, which initially affected countries in South America, does not yet apply to large markets such as the USA or Great Britain.
The professor observes that streaming entertainment platforms are experiencing their first major crisis due to the variety of offers. In the context of several players emerging, Netflix began losing subscribers in 2022, including Disney+.
“All platforms are closely watching what’s going to happen to Netflix subscribers,” Dupont says, as they’re also trying to protect their income.
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