Netflix basic subscription cheapened in Romania

Netflix, the market leader in global movie and series streaming services seems to apply different regulations depending on the market it operates in. Although in many regions it already offers a mobile-only subscription option, and in others it offers subscriptions with ads, these have not reached Romania. And while its services are starting to get more expensive in some markets, with the 4K streaming option costing as much as $20 in the US, in Romania, access to Netflix is getting cheaper.

While Netflix is getting more expensive in other countries, in Romania, subscription is getting cheaper

Netflix representatives haven’t made an official announcement on the matter, but those who recently tried to sign up for a new account found that the basic subscription, Netflix Basic, which cost €7.99 since the streaming service launched in Romania, is now €4.99. It also gets a small upgrade from the original one at launch, as it changes the maximum playback resolution from SD to 720p HD. Otherwise, you can only use the Basic subscription on one device at a time.

The other two subscriptions, Netflix Standard and Premium, remain unchanged. The average one still costs €9.99 and offers access to streaming in Full HD resolution. The subscription allows two simultaneous streams and local downloads. Finally, the Premium subscription, at €11.99, offers streaming for up to four devices at the same time, 4K resolution and HDR playback, as well as spatial sound for some compatible shows.

Company could react to recent releases, or prepare users for the end of “account sharing”

It’s hard not to associate this basic subscription price cut with the launch of new and cheaper competing services on the Romanian market. Last year we had the launches of HBO Max and Disney+, each offering cheaper subscription options, at 4.99 euros per month or 40 euros per year for HBO and 29.99 lei per month or 299 lei per year for Disney.

Incidentally, Netflix is the only company that charges extra for streaming in high resolutions. All other streaming services have a single subscription option, which offers 4K resolution and HDR where available. All except the new SkyShowtime, which only offers HD playback. At the same time, that’s also the cheapest of those available.

It could also be preparation for when account sharing is locked in, with users who will no longer have access to friends’ accounts more easily enticed to pay for a cheaper basic subscription than the standard price of now.