Netflix is making changes to its streaming services, seemingly following the style that Hulu has for their lower-priced subscription. From new location requirements to a whole new subscription for those who want to pay less, Netflix is trying it all.

In the past, Netflix users have been able to share accounts with other people. By doing this, people give their access to other users, who can then access the shared account from anywhere. This benefits  those with bigger families, as sharing an account makes it easier for everyone to enjoy. Junior Valentina Abrial is disappointed about the removal of account sharing. “I am sad about it,” Abrial said. “Some of my family [doesn’t] have Netflix, so they share my account.” Netflix has decided to get rid of account sharing due to a loss in revenue, which resulted in lower production budget for their shows and films.

With the removal of account sharing comes the addition of location sharing. Netflix aims to raise its revenue by “forcing” people outside of one household to get their own account. If a Netflix account is activated outside of the household that the subscription is under, the owners may have to verify the account and device before the person can watch anything. 

Netflix is an entertainment application used by people globally, but shows that are popular vary from country to country. For example, the show “Friends” is a popular sitcom that no longer airs to American Netflix users, but does in Australia, the UK, and France. As big television shows continue to leave the Netflix platform, controversy and disappointment follow. 

However, this is not the case in every country. People across America hold a lot of negativity towards the withdrawal of the media they know and love, since TV shows like “Friends” and “The Office” have slowly been taken off the platform. Junior Saanvi Vemareddy dislikes the new changes the platform is making. “I don’t like that [I can no longer watch certain shows on the platform] and that I now have to go somewhere else [to watch it],” Vemareddy said. People in other countries, though, have the ability to still watch these movies or shows, which causes further disappointment to those who don’t have access to the media.

Another change Netflix has made recently is their addition of advertisements on their streaming platform. For a while, Netflix was known as the best ad-free streaming service. Now, things are changing. According to The New York Times, Netflix will start a new plan of $6.99 a month if people watch 4 to 5 minutes ads on the platform every hour. Junior Ofelia Goldberg was not pleased with the additions of ads. “I do not like [the new advertisements]; the reason I watch Netflix is to not be bored by [them]…and [because of this], I don’t even want to watch Netflix anymore,” Goldberg said. This new change began on Nov. 3 and shows how Netflix, as the number one streaming platform, is trying to make even more money.

Although they make changes and will continue to do so in the future, as a large franchise, Netflix’s popularity and accessibility will no doubt continue to keep people engaged and entertained.