Bad news, Netflix fans. The streaming service is hiking up its prices for us Australians after keeping them the same for a few years.

The announcement couldn’t have come at a worse time given some areas of the country are still locked down. Netflix has been one source of comfort. “Netflix and chill” has never been meant in the most literal sense this year.

The streaming giant has announced its basic plan, normally priced at $9.99, will now cost $10.99 a month.

Along with the $1 basic plan hike, the standard plan will cost an extra $2 a month from now on.

The only ones not affected are the premium people. Those who already shell out a whopping $19.99 a month will see no hike in their price plan.

Australian competitors Binge and Stan will be licking their metaphorical lips at the news. Both of those streaming services charge only $10 for a basic plan, while Binge’s premium option costs $18 and Stan’s $19 a month.

Since arriving in Australia five years ago, Netflix has rarely increased its prices, making the announcement seem even more ill-timed.

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The last time was in June, 2017, when it raised its charges to cover the cost of new taxes imposed by the Australian Government.

“We know Australians have never had more choices when it comes to entertainment, and we’re more committed than ever to delivering an experience that exceeds their expectations,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson said the rise in prices would allow the company to continue to “invest in more shows and films”. If Netflix can somehow arrange an extra season of Schitt’s Creek, we’d think about forgiving them for the price hike. Maybe.

If you already have an account with the platform you can expect to see the new charges showing up over the next few weeks, while new members will have the latest charges applied from today.

Check out what’s coming to Netflix in October:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG76rbvTosE

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