Netflix must cut prices by more than half to compete with pirates (24)

 Netflix is being challenged by pirates

Netflix and other major streaming services would have to cut their prices by more than half in order to stand a chance of competing with pirate alternatives, a study has found. They would also have to offer brand new content “much earlier” than pirates. However, even then, these measures would only have a limited impact. Innovation is aiding pirates, illicit streaming devices and stream-ripping which threatens the progress that has been made by companies like Netflix or Spotify.

• In the UK, a basic Netflix plan costs £5.99 per month. 
• A standard membership, which lets you watch TV shows and films in HD and on two screens at the same time, costs £7.99 per month 
• a premium plan, which allows you to watch programmes on four different screens at the same time and watch in HD and 4K where available, costs £9.99
• The households involved in the study were estimated to be willing to pay a maximum of $3.25 (£2.40) per month for a subscription to a streaming service with a library as large as Netflix’s in the United States