Netflix hikes prices again

Netflix has raised its prices again.

The streaming giant said in its third-quarter earnings report that its premium ad-free plan in the United States will increase by $3 per month, to $22.99, starting Wednesday. Its one-stream basic plan will rise to $11.99 in the United States. All other plans, including its entry-level, $6.99-a-month ad-supported tier, will remain at the same monthly cost.

Netflix also announced price increases for some subscription tiers in the United Kingdom and France.

The company reported a 9% year-over-year increase in average paid memberships, adding 8.8 million subscribers last quarter. That's compared to 2.4 million in the third quarter last year. Overall, Netflix reported 247 million paid global subscribers in the third quarter.

Netflix attributed some of its strong subscriber growth to its continued password-sharing crackdown. Netflix said it has officially rolled out its "paid sharing" program in every region where the company operates, and fewer customers than they expected cancelled their memberships as a result. Rather, many customers who previously borrowed passwords from others are converting into full paying subscribers, according to Netflix.

Netflix also said that adoption of its advertising tier plans continues to grow, with membership up almost 70% compared to the previous quarter.

The company brought in $8.54 billion in revenue last quarter, boosted by higher-than-expected growth of its membership base. Earnings per share for the quarter came in at $3.73.