Evercore Isi: Last News

Netflix is expected to announce a new price increase in the coming months.It comes as the streaming company prepares to report its summer-quarter earnings later today (October 17).In a note sent to his clients, Evercore ISI analyst Mark Mahaney has forecast a Netflix price hike “in the next 3-9 months, according to IndieWire.With this week’s earnings report, there’s “the potential for a major price increase announcement, including the U.S.,” New Street Research analyst Dan Salmon also wrote in an October 15 note, according to Variety.The ad-free versions of Disney’s Hulu ($18.99/month) and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max ($16.99/month) are more expensive than Netflix’s Standard plan, and “we think Netflix boasts strong pricing power given it has not raised price on the Standard tier since January 2022,” Macquarie Equity Research analysts Tim Nollen and Ross Compton also recently wrote in a Q3 media and tech earnings preview.NME has contacted Netflix for comment on the potential price rises.It comes after the streaming service last raised prices in the UK and US this time last year with the price for the basic plan – the lowest tier plan without advertising – increasing from £6.99 to £7.99.The premium plan, which allows users to watch in Ultra HD and download on six supported devices at a time, also increased from £15.99 to £17.99.

Warner Bros. Discovery shares had a volatile debut, rising early in the session but heading lower as analysts dissected the newly combined entity following the deal’s close on Friday. Reports out today – and more will follow – range from a thumbs-up on WBD’s streaming, content and planned cost savings, to caution on its debt and its big portfolio of linear cable networks.