Apps & Consumer
Plex targets social discovery as lifetime pass price jumps
Plex is launching new social features like community forums and discovery tools while simultaneously raising its lifetime pass price to $749.99 starting July 1.
On Wednesday, Plex unveiled several new social features designed to transform how users interact on the platform. The company is rolling out these tools to create a more community-driven content discovery experience, allowing users to share recommendations and connect over movies and television shows. The new features include:
- Discussions: A community forum where users can post comments and talk about movies or TV shows. Plex is likely hoping this forum will challenge Reddit’s dominance in community discussions.
- Lists: A feature allowing users to create, manage, and share lists of their favorite movies and shows, competing with user-generated lists on platforms like Letterboxd and IMDb.
- Match Score: A tool that predicts how closely a title lines up with what a user enjoys based on viewing habits and ratings.
- Alerts: Notifications that inform users about new activities related to lists, movies, shows, and film professionals they follow.
The rollout of these features coincides with a significant price increase for the Lifetime Plex Pass, the company’s premium subscription service. Starting July 1, the price of the lifetime pass will rise to $749.99. This follows previous price points for the pass of $119.99 and $249.99, highlighting the scale of the increase.
Currently, Plex has over 42 million active users monthly across more than 180 countries and territories. The platform is positioning these new tools to compete directly with established social networking and discussion platforms like Reddit, Letterboxd, and IMDb. This is not the company’s first move into social features; in 2023, Plex launched “Discover Together” to let users follow friends’ viewing activities.
Scott Olechowski, co-founder and chief product officer, framed the update as a response to the shifting dynamics of content discovery. Olechowski noted that viewers are increasingly turning to trusted communities, creators, and friends for recommendations as discovery becomes a shared experience. Regarding the Match Score feature, Olechowski stated: “The idea is to take the guesswork out of discovery, so instead of scrolling endlessly, you get a quick, personal read on whether something is likely to be for you.”
Why it matters
Plex is attempting to pivot from a media server to a social streaming hub to compete with platforms like Reddit and Letterboxd, while simultaneously implementing a significant price increase for its lifetime pass.