Taija PerryCook snopes/fact-check/
It's unclear how the looming merger between Netflix and Warner Bros. would affect costs, though the alleged price hike is pure satire.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos alluded to a potential subscription fee increase while defending the company's acquisition of Warner Bros. before the Senate's antitrust subcommittee on Feb. 3. However, details of any potential hike remained unconfirmed as of this writing. Sarandos emphasized that any increase would depend on perceived value for subscribers.
Days after Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended his company's deal to acquire Warner Bros. before the Senate's antitrust subcommittee on Feb. 3, 2026, a claim spread online that Netflix would soon increase its monthly subscription fee to $49.99.
One X post (archived) with more than 6 million views read: "Netflix will be raising its monthly subscription to $49.99, starting March 1st."
The rumor also spread elsewhere on X (archived, archived).
Though many users reposted the claim, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (archived), we found no evidence Netflix would raise its monthly price to $49.99 in March 2026.
The rumor originated with X user Hoops Crave — a social media account that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature. Its bio (archived) states that it is a parody account.
Netflix last increased its subscription fees in January 2025, raising the cost of the Premium plan to $24.99 a month. Those prices continue to hold (archived), as of this writing:
If the acquisition — which would include HBO and HBO Max — makes it through the federal government's regulatory procedures, the deal would likely finalize sometime in 2026. As of this writing, it remains unclear how costs for subscribers would be affected. However, Sarandos alluded to a possible price hike during the Feb. 3 Senate hearing.
When Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., asked Sarandos whether the acquisition would provide further incentive to increase subscription costs (at 1:23:53), Sarandos responded, "We can only [raise subscription fees] if the consumer sees the value. We are a one-click cancel. So if at any point the consumer says, 'That's too much for what I'm getting,' they can just with one click of the button cancel Netflix."
However, details of any potential price hike remain unconfirmed as of this writing. We reached out to Netflix seeking comment and will update this story if we receive a response.
Snopes has addressed similar satirical claims about Netflix in the past, including the assertion that late-night host Stephan Colbert signed a $13.5 million Netflix deal for a new series after his show was canceled in July 2025 and a rumor that Netflix was halting production to "reexamine the public appeal of wokeness."
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.
