Netflix has some issues. As most know, they have been removing beloved shows and movies from the platform, as well as increasing the subscription prices. Slowly, the Netflix platform is starting to look like just another pricey subscription with mediocre shows. But why is that?

One of the main reasons boils down to Licensing. When Netflix pays for the licensing, they create a contract with the production house. These contracts expire after a while. Other platforms can then buy the licensing for that show. Most of the time, if you can’t find a show on one platform, you can find it on another. For example, if your favorite movies series is on Netflix, but it’s only the second and third of the series, you might be able to find the first one on a different platform, like Hulu or HBO max. It’s sad, but there’s not much Netflix can do about losing fan-favorite shows.

As for pricing, Netflix announced that they would be raising standard plans by $1 per month and premium plans by $2 per month. Netflix is simply following their long-term strategy, becoming an equivalent to cable in the average household. When you think like that, the comparison is pretty decent. The average cable bill is a whopping $217 per month. If Netflix is able to gather more live event coverage, it’s arguable that Netflix would be better and cheaper than cable. The advantage being that you would be able to watch movies and shows on your own time instead of just seeing what’s playing on cable.

Student Sarah Desouza says “They’ve taken off a couple of my favorite shows and movies. I think in a couple months Netflix isn’t going to be worth the price anymore.” This is affecting almost everyone who is currently subscribed to Netflix. Even compared to cable, many are not able to afford the recent prices. Lots of people have had their favorite shows and movies removed from the service, and no longer deem Netflix worthy of the price. No matter what you think about the situation, Netflix is changing, and there’s no stopping it.