Netflix Loses New Court Case in Italy That Voids Years of Price Hikes

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2026 isn’t shaping up to be a great year for the streaming service. Things started well – they secured a landmark deal with Warner Bros. and had multiple films with Oscar potential – but now they’re facing challenges.

So, a few months have passed, and things haven’t been great for the streaming service. They lost Warner Bros. content, and to make matters worse, they’ve now lost two legal battles. First in Belgium, and now, according to Reuters, in Italy too. It all boils down to their habit of constantly raising prices, which courts are clearly pushing back against. It’s a tough spot for them right now, honestly.

Netflix’s Price Hikes Deemed Unlawful

A recent court decision in Rome found that Netflix illegally raised prices for its Italian customers over the past seven years. The streaming service has been ordered to reimburse those affected, according to consumer group Movimento Consumatori.

An association took legal action against Netflix Italy, and the court ruled that certain terms allowing them to raise subscription prices between 2017 and January 2024 were unfair. This ruling represents a significant legal defeat for Netflix in Europe, following a previous case in Belgium.

The court found the clauses unfair because they violated the national Consumer Code and altered subscriptions without a justifiable reason outlined in the contract.

As a movie buff who relies on streaming, I was really glad to hear about this case! Apparently, our lawyers, Paolo Fiorio and Riccardo Pinna, successfully argued that the price hikes for the Premium plan – those increases back in 2017, 2019, 2021, and just recently in 2024 – added up to an extra 8 euros a month. For those of us on the Standard plan, it was a total of 4 euros. It’s good to see some accountability and potential refunds coming our way!

A recent report indicates that Netflix Premium subscribers who have maintained their subscriptions uninterrupted since 2017 may be eligible for up to €500 (about $578). Standard subscribers over the same period could receive around €250.

The court instructed Netflix Italia to publicize the decision on its website and in national newspapers, clarifying that certain contract terms were invalid and customers were eligible for refunds. Netflix has 90 days to fulfill this requirement, but intends to appeal the ruling, stating they are committed to consumer rights and maintain their terms have always adhered to Italian law.

Netflix Recently Lost a Case in Belgium

In late March of this year, the streaming service announced price increases. The most basic plan, Standard with Ads, will increase by about $1 per month, while the Standard and Premium plans will each go up by $2.

Soon after, it became clear that Europe isn’t as receptive to Netflix as other regions. European regulations require streaming services like Netflix to invest in creating locally-made shows and movies.

As a movie and TV lover, I’ve been following this interesting legal battle. Netflix is fighting a rule in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation that would require them to significantly increase how much money they invest in local shows and films – they want to boost that investment from the current 2.2% all the way up to 9.5% by 2027. Unfortunately for Netflix, they lost the initial case. But it’s not over! The whole thing is now heading to the European Court of Justice, so we’ll see if they get a different ruling there.

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2026-04-06 23:12