Ah, the dawn of a new decade. With almost everything going digital these days, it was only a matter of time before the government imposed a tax on it, and fair enough. Most governments around the world already have a digital tax in place and Malaysia getting in on it can only be a positive move for the economy.

That being said, Netflix Malaysia has released it’s updated subscription prices that will come into affect on a rolling basis and it looks like they’ve decided to impose the 6% increase… and then some.

Netflix Mobile-only – RM17 (unchanged)
Netflix Basic – Old Price: RM33. New Price: RM35. Price Increase: RM2  (6.06%)
Netflix Standard – Old Price: RM42. New Price: RM45. Price Increase: RM3 (6.67%)
Netflix Premium – Old Price: RM51. New Price: RM55. Price Increase: RM4 (7.84%)

These new prices will be reflected in the next billing cycle. As you can see, Netflix basic see’s a 6% increase but the standard and premium subscription packages see an increase of 7% and 8% respectively. What the hell, right? Well, the price increase actually reflects two things. One being the digital tax and the other being Netflix’ initiative to improve its content and user experience.

This is actually the first time that Netflix has implemented an increase in subscription rates since it first landed on Malaysian shores back in January 2016. With these new prices, Netflix can now further improve its services, which include data compression and adaptive streaming technology.

An increase of a few ringgit probably won’t hurt the company that much but it will be interesting to see how Netflix video streaming platform competitors price their services should they decide to land in Malaysia. Are you guys more inclined to subscribe to Disney+ once it expands here? Are you happy to remain with Netflix? Will you subscribe to both? Let us know!