Streaming fans may start screaming.
Jim Inman Photo: netflix.com
If you’re a fan of the television programs “Bridgerton,” “Stranger Things” or “Ozark,” that means you’re likely a subscriber to the streaming service Netflix.
However, you may also be one of thousands of people that have cancelled their subscription.
Netflix leadership shared this week that subscriptions fell by 200,000 during the first quarter of 2022.
And in the second quarter – from April through June – Netflix anticipates a loss of two million subscribers.
The decline – the first worldwide in ten years – comes as monthly rates increase and Netflix fights the challenge of password sharing for accounts.
The basic Netflix plan increased one dollar to $9.99 per month in January. For viewers wanting high-definition content and the option of watching on different screens, the price jumped to $15.49 per month. The top Netflix plan is currently $19.99 per month.
Netflix entertains millions of households around the globe, and with that comes legitimate sharing of passwords among immediate family members. However, Netflix said it believes that more than 100 million global households are sharing passwords with friends, extended family members and others.
The streaming service said it is working on plans to charge more for accounts that share passwords.
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The mask mandate for travel was overturned in recent days, but the Justice Department is filing an appeal.
On Wednesday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision from a Florida judge earlier in the week.
The notice of appeal was filed in a Tampa federal court.
The CDC issued a statement Wednesday saying it is “continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health.”
The CDC mask mandate was scheduled to expire on May 3, in response to an increase in the BA.2 omicron subvariant of the COVID-19 virus. The subvariant is where most current cases of the virus are being traced back to across the country.
The number of cases of COVID-10 across the country has dropped significantly since the end of 2021, resulting in mask mandates ending across much of the country.
However, Philadelphia recently reinstated its mandate after seeing an increase in hospitalizations.
According to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, Monroe County currently has 17 cases per 100,000 residents and a current case count of 251.
