Netflix and Kill: When Streaming Stopped Being a Steal

One of my closest friends has played roller derby since 2015. Going by the moniker “Netflix and Kill,” her jersey number is $7.99—the original price of a basic Netflix subscription with no ads and multiple users. I’ve got to hand it to her, she’s got style…

…but her jersey is outdated.

Ten years since she began rolling, the price for the same subscription is now $17.99. The company has also cracked down heavily on password sharing and now charges an additional $7.99 per user. In 2015, the standard Netflix subscription for a family of four cost $95.88/year. In 2025, that same family will pay $407.64/year. Yikes.

Accounting for inflation, a Netflix account of equal value should be $140.30/year. Netflix has raised their price nearly 300% for what is essentially the same product.

But is it really the same product?

Netflix used to be considered indispensable, with 90% of customers expressing satisfaction in 2021. However, those numbers have been on a downward spiral, dropping to 75% in 2024. Customers express frustration with frequent cancellations of popular shows and an overall decline in production quality.

Acclaimed Netflix originals like GLOW, Santa Clarita Diet, Mindhunter, and Sense8 were all canceled prematurely after just 1–3 seasons, despite their cult followings.

And of course, Netflix isn’t alone.

Many of the legacy shows that originally drew users to the platform—The Office, Friends, Parks and Rec, and all things Marvel—have been yanked and traded across competing platforms in what’s been dubbed the streaming wars.

The shows you love are now treated like children in an acrimonious divorce, yanked left and right in a custody battle of licensing and corporate politics.

That’s because these OTT (over-the-top) streaming companies don’t need to keep you watching.
They only need to keep you subscribed.
One show you love is enough. More than that? What difference does it make to them?

But what difference does it make to you?

The streaming revolution promised you on-demand access to the world of movies and TV for just a low monthly fee. This was revolutionary. Maybe you felt we had entered a new era—a golden age of entertainment. An opportunity to finally cut the cord and move beyond the tyranny of cable companies.

As of 2024, an estimated 60% of U.S. households are now considered “cord cutters,” with high prices often cited as the main reason for leaving cable or satellite behind. But the average cable-only TV plan costs $83 per month. A Hulu + LiveTV plan? $81.99. Don’t spend that dollar all in one place.

And if you have kids, you’ll need Disney+.
Want White Lotus? That’s Max.
Want The Office? Peacock.
And if there’s a specific movie you want to watch tonight that isn’t on any of those platforms…
Well, guess what? You’re probably going to rent it for $3.99 on Amazon anyway.

So you were promised access.
What you got was fragmentation.
You were told it would be cheaper than cable.
Do you feel like it is?

Or do you feel a bit like one of those cows hooked up to machines, endlessly siphoning away your value, draining you dry?

There’s a reason you feel that way.
It’s called digital feudalism.