Photo: HBO Television
Sky TV owned streamer Neon is increasing its prices and introducing ads on all plans.
Customers were told via email today that from January 11, 2024, the price of the monthly standard plan will rise from $17.99 per month to $19.99 per month. The annual plan will rise from $179.99 per year to $199.99 per year.
The streamer, which hosts TV shows like Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon, Fargo, and Yellowstone, will also be introducing advertising on all plans as well as a selection of movies.
A basic plan, which costs $12.99 per month, will show ads before TV shows and movies as well as when paused. It said customers can expect to see "a few minutes" of ads per hour of content watched.
The more expensive standard plan will show ads when content is paused. There will be no advertising on kids' content.
The streamer said the move to include advertising was necessary to keep bringing in new shows and investing in quality content.
The price of a Sky TV sport subscription is also going up: 10.5 percent - or just over $4 - from the first of February to $42 a month.
Sky said the increase reflected its ongoing investment in local and global sport, including event rights fees, production of live games and highlights, team and event sponsorships, and partnerships with sport associations.
The move follows several changes in the streaming landscape in recent months. In February Netflix stopped allowing account sharing in New Zealand. Disney Plus raised prices in December 2022, as did Apple TV.