Netflix Increases Subscription Fees in Nigeria Once More
================================================================================
As Nigeria grapples with record inflation, the cost of entertainment has become a luxury for many households. This is particularly true in the realm of streaming services, with Netflix and Multichoice, a pay-TV provider in Nigeria, implementing multiple price hikes over the past year.
In a global move, Netflix has been raising prices across various regions, including South Africa. The streaming giant increased the mobile tier price by 20% in South Africa, marking the first price increase since its launch. Similarly, Netflix raised its subscription prices several times in Nigeria between 2024 and mid-2025. The latest increase occurred in June 2025.
These price adjustments have contributed to stronger revenue growth for Netflix, despite a slowdown in subscriber additions due to factors such as password-sharing clampdowns. Analysts expect continued strong financial performance from Netflix, driven by these price increases and the growth of its ad-supported subscription tier.
However, the rising Netflix prices come at a time when inflation is still pressuring household expenses in Nigeria. The uneven inflation in the country impacts discretionary spending, including entertainment budgets, making streaming subscriptions less affordable for some lower-income consumers.
In the Nigerian entertainment industry, Netflix's presence was strong during its big Nollywood content commissioning phase (2020–22). However, the company has recently scaled back its local production investments. Current Nigerian titles on Netflix are mainly from earlier deals, indicating a slowdown in new content production.
On the brighter side, Nigerian consumers are increasingly turning to mobile streaming, enabled by telecom operators expanding data services. Despite a minor drop in Internet usage, the telecom sector has benefited from tariff increases and data revenue growth, complementing streaming’s rise as a preferred entertainment mode over traditional pay TV.
In summary, Netflix’s price increases between 2024 and 2025 in Nigeria have bolstered its revenues while coinciding with a complex economic environment marked by inflation and shifting entertainment consumption from traditional TV to mobile streaming. For Nigerian consumers, higher subscription costs amid inflation may reduce accessibility for some, but growing mobile data availability supports continued streaming adoption overall.
Table: Aspects of the Impact of Netflix Price Changes in Nigeria
| Aspect | Details | |-------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Netflix price changes | Multiple hikes between 2024 and June 2025, latest increase mid-2025 | | Netflix revenue impact | Strong revenue growth expected, driven by price hikes and ad-supported subscription tier | | Consumer impact in Nigeria | Price increases amid uneven but persistent inflation, impacting affordability for some segments| | Local content production | Cooling of new big Nollywood commissions since 2023; current Nigerian titles mostly older deals | | Entertainment trends | Shift to mobile streaming via telecoms with rising data revenues; pay TV struggling |
In this complex economic environment of Nigeria, where inflation is putting pressure on household expenses, the increasing prices of Netflix subscriptions challenging the affordability for some lower-income consumers (consumer impact in Nigeria). Simultaneously, the strong revenue growth for Netflix is being driven by these price hikes and the growth of its ad-supported subscription tier (Netflix revenue impact).
