Is Netflix adding ads? How the potential change could affect ...

Coming soon to your Netflix account: ads.

During its quarterly earnings report, where it revealed its first drop in global subscribers in a decade, Netflix said it is exploring plans that include ads for a lower price.

In a call with investors, Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings said he has been against "the complexity of advertising," preferring the simplicity of a subscription.

"But as much I'm a fan of that, I'm a bigger fan of consumer choice," Hastings said. "And allowing consumers who would like to have a lower price and are advertising-tolerant (to) get what they want makes a lot of sense."

Although Hastings said an ad-supported plan is still a year or two away, it's a moment Netflix subscribers might dread. One of the biggest appeals of Netflix is watching favorite TV shows or movies without a single commercial interruption.

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However, more consumers appear comfortable mixing ads with their streaming, so long as it's affordable. A December survey from Forrester found 44% of U.S. online adults who use a streaming service will put up with ads if it means they pay less.

"Ultimately consumers will follow the content and the overall value they’re getting when choosing which streaming services make their watch list," said Forrester VP and Research Director Mike Proulx.

Complicating matters is Netflix also is trying to crack down on subscribers who share their passwords. The company said it plans to expand features over the next year that it's testing in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru, giving users the option to pay extra if they want to share their account outside their household.

How will my Netflix subscription change?

Netflix did not reveal details on what plans would look like once an ad-supported option is available, or how much it might cost.

But other services might provide a glimpse at how new Netflix plans could function. Hulu, for example, has long offered ad-backed and ad-free plans.

Hulu has a $6.99-a-month plan with ads and a $12.99-a-month option without the ads.

HBO Max offers similar plans, with a $9.99-a-month subscription with ads and one for $14.99 that strips ads but supports features like offline downloads. Fellow streaming service Peacock provides ad-free and ad-supported subscriptions, too.

Last month, Disney announced it would introduce an ad-supported version of Disney+ this year but didn't provide information on prices.

Currently, Netflix offers three plans: a basic plan for $9.99, a standard plan – its most popular – to $15.49, and a premium plan for $19.99. The big question for Netflix is how much an ad-backed subscription will cost, said Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter.

"You look at Hulu. It's $12.99, they cut the price (for the option with ads) to $6.99, so they cut it by $6. If Netflix says, 'Oh, we'll cut it to $9.49,' I doubt anybody does it," Pachter said. "It's like, what's the point? You're still paying more for Netflix with ads than you're paying for Disney without, which doesn't make sense at all."

Would you be open to ads on Netflix if you could pay less? Tell Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

The stock market could soon see a massive change to how it ...

New York (CNN Business) The agency that oversees Wall Street is weighing major changes to the way millions of everyday investors buy and sell stocks. That could be bad news for so-called free-trading apps like Robinhood as well as the lesser known firms that underpin their business models.

Today, when you buy or sell a stock on an app, the trade appears to be instantaneous. But beneath that simple buy/sell action is a complex web of Wall Street players exploiting tiny differences in price to rake in huge amounts of cash.

Here's how it works: When you tap buy or sell, Robinhood (or your broker of choice), takes your order to a firm known as a wholesaler or market maker — the middlemen who are supposed to get you the best price and who pay the brokers for the privilege of executing the trades. They typically make pennies off each transaction.

That process is known as "payment for order flow," and it has come under intense scrutiny by regulators following the fallout from the January 2021 run-up in meme stocks like GameStop.

The GameStop frenzy "exposed how rigged the US equity markets are to enrich big Wall Street firms, high frequency trading firms and brokers at the expense of Main Street retail investors," Better Markets CEO Dennis Kelleher wrote at the time.

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WWE, Netflix among 15 companies forced to change their names

Michael B. Sauter and Samuel Stebbins

24/7 Wall Street

For the nation’s largest companies, a highly-recognizable name can be an extremely valuable asset. However in the face of a public relations disaster, declining revenue, or major changes in consumer preference, a high-profile brand name can become a liability. In these cases, rebranding with a new name can be necessary to turn corporate fortunes around.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed 15 of the biggest corporate name changes in recent history. This list focuses on name changes that were responses to urgent financial or public relations problems. Some of these companies may not be around today had they not rebranded. Here is a look at the brands that will disappear in 2020.

Some of these companies changed their brands to more effectively represent their range of products and services. For example, Weight Watchers changed its name in 2018 to WW to better communicate that the company offers a wider array of wellness products than just weight loss aid.

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In other cases, a company’s brand had been so tarnished by scandal or associated with an industry held in increasingly poor regard that the name had to go. The Lance Armstrong Foundation changed its name to Livestrong Foundation after the company founder and namesake was outed for use of performance-enhancing drugs.

In other instances, long-term business failure or changing cultural values led to a name change for these companies. But often, a single incident and the resulting fallout was enough to precipitate a name change for these companies. These are the biggest corporate scandals of the last decade.

In a few rare cases, the name changes were not made from a financial or public relations perspective, but a legal one. One well-known entertainment company on this list was forced to change its name due to a trademark violation.

1. Livestrong Foundation

•Former name: Lance Armstrong Foundation

•Year changed: 2012

The Lance Armstrong Foundation began in 1997 -- in the wake of Lance Armstrong's testicular cancer diagnosis -- as a charity to raise money for cancer research. However, after years of speculation and investigations, it became indisputable in August 2012 that the seven time Tour de France champion had been illegally using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his professional career. In the fallout, Armstrong was stripped of his titles and banned from professional cycling. Armstrong's charity foundation formally changed its name to the Livestrong Foundation in a rebranding effort.

2. American Outdoor Brands Corporation

•Former name: Smith & Wesson

•Year changed: 2017

Smith & Wesson Holding, the parent company of the Smith & Wesson firearm brand, changed its name to American Outdoor Brands on Jan. 1, 2017. The change was likely made primarily in response to the volatility of the firearms market.

Gun sales can fluctuate considerably in the United States due to current events, such as mass shootings, and political trends. By changing its name, the company aimed to expand its outdoor gear business to new markets that might have negative views of the firearm industry. Since the name change, however, the company's stock has fallen by over 50%.

3. Netflix

•Former name: Qwikster

•Year changed: 2011

In 2011, having already announced a 60% price hike that infuriated customers, Netflix Inc. introduced Qwikster. The plan, part of Netflix's attempt to separate its streaming video service from its DVD mailing service, was an instant flop. Customers decried not just the higher costs but also the inconvenience of two separate websites and two separate bills. The Qwikster decision lasted just a few weeks. In a 2011 conference call, CEO Reed Hastings said of the Qwikster plan, "In hindsight, it's hard to justify." He also added, "Qwikster became the symbol of Netflix not listening."

4. Academi

•Former name: Xe Services, Blackwater Worldwide

•Year changed: 2009, 2011

The corporation once known as Blackwater has changed its name twice in the past four years. In September 2007, five Blackwater guards were involved in an incident that resulted in the deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad. In February 2009, likely in part as a public relations move, Blackwater changed its name to Xe Services. Just a few months later, two of its mercenaries fired on a vehicle and killed two Afghan civilians.

In December 2011, six months after the second gunman was convicted and sentenced to 37 months in prison for manslaughter, the company again changed its name, this time to Academi. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the company's CEO, Ted Wright, explained the name change was an attempt to appear more "boring."

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5. Subway

•Former name: Pete's Super Submarines

•Year changed: 1968

The fast-food sandwich chain now known as Subway was founded in 1965 -- only back then it went by the name Pete's Super Submarines, or, Pete's Submarines, as it read in ads and on billboards. The shop was initially named after the man the restaurant's founder, Fred DeLuca, had borrowed money from to get the operation off the ground. The relatively cumbersome name was short lived, however, as it was often misheard as "pizza submarine." The chain changed its name to the now familiar Subway in 1968.

6. Ally Financial

•Former name: GMAC Bank

•Year changed: 2010

In 2008, in the midst of the financial crisis and the bailing out of a number of major financial institutions, the U.S. government bailed out the American auto industry to the tune of over $80 billion. As part of this lifeline, the government purchased billions of dollars in shares of GMAC, which began as the financing arm of General Motors and was partially owned by the automaker. It also injected money into GM directly.

In 2010, GMAC changed the name of its banking unit to Ally Financial. The decision appears to have been made to distance the company from both its own rescue and General Motors' financial difficulties.

7. Altria

•Former name: Philip Morris

•Year changed: 2003

Cigarette giant Philip Morris, maker of brands like Marlboro, changed its name to Altria Group Inc. in 2003 on the same day that the company was cleared of responsibility in a smoking-related wrongful death case. The move had been planned since 2001. Philip Morris claimed that the name change was intended to emphasize that the company sells a wide array of products, in addition to the famous tobacco brand, but the assumption for many is that the move was largely to disassociate the company from its controversial product.

An anti-tobacco group, Intact, called the plan "a PR maneuver meant to distance the corporation's image from its deadly business practices." The tobacco units, Philip Morris International and Philip Morris USA, kept their original names.

8. WWE

•Former name: World Wrestling Federation

•Year changed: 2002

The popular entertainment company once known as the World Wrestling Federation, or WWF, had to change its name for a very different reason than many of the other companies on this list -- a trademark violation. Few multimillion dollar companies come across such a problem. But the World Wildlife Fund, a global conservation organization founded in 1961 that carries the initials WWF, sued the entertainment group and won on the grounds that it had broken a 1994 agreement that it would limit use of the WWF initials. The WWF in 2002 changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment, and finally just WWE.

9. AirTran Airways

•Former name: ValuJet Airlines

•Year changed: 1997

On May 11, 1996, ValuJet Flight 592 crashed in the Florida Everglades, with no survivors among the 110 passengers and crew. Following the crash, despite initially ruling the airline safe, the FAA grounded ValuJet Airlines flights in June 1996 for three months. The FAA stated ValuJet knowingly flew planes that were potentially unsafe. Although it later returned to offering inexpensive flights, in 1997 ValuJet acquired AirTran Airways, taking the smaller airline's name.

10. Bausch Health

•Former name: Valeant Pharmaceuticals

•Year changed: 2018

Valeant Pharmaceuticals gained tremendous public notoriety for sharply raising prices on life-saving drugs the company offered through its pharmacy Philidor, which has since been shut down. Company shares plummeted in 2015 and several public lawsuits have surfaced in the wake of the collapse. The company adopted the name of its eye care subsidiary, Bausch + Lomb, which it acquired in 2013.

In July 2018 it officially changed its name to Bausch Health. In late 2019, the company agreed to pay shareholders $1.21 billion on the grounds that it misled them about its financial situation leading up to the stock price collapse.

11. Tribune Publishing Co.

•Former name: Tronc

•Year changed: 2018

In 2016, Tribune Publishing, the owner of major newspapers like the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, changed its name to Tronc. The name change was likely intended to signal the publishing company's movement into the modern media landscape, and also to prevent confusion between the company and Tribune Media, the company from which it was spun off in 2014. The change was not well-received. Two years later, Tribune Media was apparently in the process of merging with Sinclair Broadcasting Group, and Tronc changed its name back. The merger eventually fell through but the name change stuck.

12. Intel Security

•Former name: McAfee

•Year changed: 2014

Since its inception in 1987, McAfee has gone through several name changes. The antivirus software company shared a name with its eccentric founder John McAfee for well over a decade, until it was bought by Intel in 2010 and rebranded as Intel Security. The rebranding was an effort to distance the product from Mr. McAfee, whose erratic behavior was making international headlines.

The merger was short lived however. McAfee began operating as an independent company again in April 2017. The rebranding from Intel back to McAfee was rolled out in stages and almost fully completed as of 2019.

13. RH

•Former name: Restoration Hardware

•Year changed: 2017

In a rebranding effort apparently geared at improving business, the furniture retailer Restoration Hardware officially changed its name to RH on Jan. 1, 2017. The rebranding decision had been made as far back as 2012 when the company's former CEO Carlos Alberini explained that the change "enhances our identity and moves us beyond our Hardware store beginnings."

Since the rebranding was made official, the company's share price has climbed by over 600%. The company had been known as Restoration Hardware since it was founded in 1979.

14. WW

•Former name: Weight Watchers

•Year changed: 2018

After 55 years in business as Weight Watchers, a weight management services company, changed its name to WW in 2018. The change was part of a rebranding effort designed to keep the company competitive as cultural norms around weight loss began to change. Namely, dieting has become taboo in favor of personal wellness and body positivity. The rebranding appears to have been effective to some degree, as the company's share price has climbed over 25% in the last year.

15. CoreCivic

•Former name: Corrections Corporation of America

•Year changed: 2016

The private prison industry in the United States, which had been growing in popularity as a solution for incarcerating inmates and as of 2017 housed over 121,000 inmates, has garnered a great deal of public criticism for its treatment of prisoners. In 2016, a report by the Department of Justice found that 14 private incarceration facilities had higher incidence of violence compared to federal-run prisons, and also said these prisons had substandard medical care and generally poor living conditions.

The largest private prison company in the country, Corrections Corporation of America, was included in the report. That same year, the DOJ announced it would no longer use private prisons. That October, CCA announced it would change its name to CoreCivic, likely in part to distance the company from the recent poor press.

24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Why Netflix is raising prices - CNN

New York (CNN Business) Netflix is set to report fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday. Typically, Wall Street's eyes would be set squarely on the streamer's subscriber growth. But this time, there's something new for investors and industry observers to look at: Netflix's sales projections after it raised its prices.

The company boosted subscriber fees Friday, a move that raised its stock price -- and eyebrows -- across the streaming world.

"They clearly believe they still have the pricing power to do so and that they provide an exceptional value for the money," Andrew Hare, a senior vice president of research at media consulting firm Magid, told CNN Business.

Netflix NFLX Hare believesunderstands that the US and Canadian markets are maturing and competition is fierce. So it's trying to offset its slower growth with higher subscription prices.

"Raising prices is just one lever they can continue to pull right now, though I'm not sure for how much longer," Hare said.

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Atlantic City, Key West: Beach towns will soon be under water

John Harrington

24/7 Wall Street

There are about 13,000 miles of coastline in the 48 contiguous United States, and by the end of the century, these contours will be greatly altered by climate change.

By the close of the 21st century, about 2.5 million properties worth $1.07 trillion, in cities and towns along the coastline will be at risk of chronic flooding, according to a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science advocacy organization. Chronic flooding, as defined by the scientists group, means flooding that occurs 26 times a year or more.

24/7 Tempo has identified the 21 beach towns in the United States that will soon be under water, based on data in the Union of Concerned Scientists report “Underwater: Rising Seas, Chronic Floods, and the Implications for US Coastal Real Estate.” Areas were ranked by the total number of homes that will be at risk of flooding by the year 2060.

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Rising waters will have far-reaching implications for the economy. Apart from the impact on financial and real estate markets, town infrastructure such as roads, bridges, power plants, airports, public buildings, military bases, would be at risk of more frequent inundation.

Chronic flooding also will have a social impact as well, as beloved destinations holding memories of boardwalk strolls, young romance, crashing ocean waves, and greasy summer food are inundated with rising waters and could become virtually unlivable.

Some areas of the nation, such as coastal Louisiana and the eastern shore of Maryland, are already facing the reality of chronic flooding, according to the report.

21. Ventnor City, New Jersey

• Total population (2016): 10,505

• Homes at risk: 3,615

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 46.2%

• Value at risk: $850.0 million

Ventnor City, New Jersey, is a small beach resort about 4 miles south of Atlantic City. According to a report published in 2016 by Climate Central, an organization of scientists and journalists researching and reporting on the impact of changing climate, Ventnor City experienced 229 coastal flood days in the period from 2005 to 2014. That was more than twice as many coastal flood days as the previous 10-year period.

20. Long Beach, California

• Total population (2016): 469,793

• Homes at risk: 3,710

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 19.8%

• Value at risk: $2.50 billion

Long Beach, California, about 25 miles south of Los Angeles, is the most populous city on this list of beach towns, with nearly 470,000 people. The city is developing its first plan to address climate change, the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Long Beach had 60 coastal flood days over the 2005-2014 period, compared with 36 over the prior 10-year period, according to a Climate Central report published in 2016.

19. Madeira Beach, Florida

• Total population (2016): 4,343

• Homes at risk: 3,723

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 29.1%

• Value at risk: $1.23 billion

Madeira Beach, Florida, is about 11 miles northwest of St. Petersburg on Florida's west coast. The area is no stranger to intense storms. One occurred in February of 2006 when between 8 and 11 inches of rain fell in about a five-hour period over a 5 mile-wide corridor from Madeira Beach northeast to west Tampa.

18. Key Largo, Florida

• Total population (2016): 10,024

• Homes at risk: 3,775

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 36.4%

• Value at risk: $2.17 billion

Key Largo, Florida, just off the Florida mainland, is one of three of the Florida Keys on the list. Thirty of the 32 coastal flood days over the 2005-2014 period were driven by climate change, according to a report from Climate Central. Key Largo is one of the areas in Florida that is particularly at risk of water inundation, according to a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

17. Cudjoe Key, Florida

• Total population (2016): 1,812

• Homes at risk: 3,921

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 83.9%

• Value at risk: $1.72 billion

Cudjoe Key is among the most westerly of the Florida keys and is one of the most vulnerable of the keys to rising waters from climate change, according to data from the Union of Concerned Scientists. The Florida Keys overall are the area in the United States most susceptible to climate change, according to research from the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The region is also prone to hurricanes. More than 83% of the population in Cudjoe is at risk of rising waters.

16. Lavallette, New Jersey

• Total population (2016): 2,026

• Homes at risk: 3,938

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 54.1%

• Value at risk: $1.97 billion

This Ocean County resort community was devastated by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, one of many Jersey Shore towns damaged by the tempest. In an NJ.com story, David Robinson, a climatologist at Rutgers University, explains that ocean temperatures off the Jersey Shore are rising and that future storms that will strike the Jersey coast will increase in intensity.

15. Margate City, New Jersey

• Total population (2016): 6,250

• Homes at risk: 3,970

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 55.7%

• Value at risk: $1.90 billion

Margate City, New Jersey, is located just south of Atlantic City. The resort community had 229 days of coastal flooding in the 10-year period from 2005 to 2014, more than double the number of coastal flood days from the previous 10-year period, according to a 2016 Climate Central study covered by the New York Times.

14. Holmes Beach, Florida

• Total population (2016): 4,119

• Homes at risk: 3,978

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 66.0%

• Value at risk: $1.67 billion

Holmes Beach, Florida, is located about 19 miles north of Sarasota on Anna Maria Island on Florida's west coast. Town planners are addressing climate change by proposing to gradually raise city streets, build seawalls, and add more stormwater drains.

13. St. Pete Beach, Florida

• Total population (2016): 9,528

• Homes at risk: 4,242

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 31.3%

• Value at risk: $1.56 billion

The city of St. Pete Beach, Florida, is a barrier island community, located off the mainland of St. Petersburg. According to the city's website, nearly 28% of the residences in St. Pete Beach are owned by people claiming primary residence elsewhere. Climate Central said there is a 57% risk of at least one flood over 5 feet occurring at St. Pete Beach between today and 2050.

12. Sea Isle City, New Jersey

• Total population (2016): 1,905

• Homes at risk: 4,266

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 61.8%

• Value at risk: $2.55 billion

Sea Isle City, New Jersey, located in Cape May County in southern New Jersey, is a resort community whose summer population swells to 20 times the permanent population. It is one of the many Jersey coastal communities that was blasted by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Currently, over 4,000 area homes are at risk of rising sea levels by 2060 if action is not taken.

11. St. Petersburg, Florida

• Total population (2016): 253,585

• Homes at risk: 4,664

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 4.4%

• Value at risk: $1.36 billion

According to the St. Petersburg, Florida, website, the city is crafting plans to address climate change, including making stormwater and wastewater infrastructure improvements based on a projected sea level rise that is based on a tide gauge the city has used since 1946.

10. Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

• Total population (2016): 21,937

• Homes at risk: 6,343

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 20.1%

• Value at risk: $2.55 billion

Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, is located about 21 miles north of Miami and is one of nine Florida towns on this list. Climate Central predicts the resort town has a 73% risk of at least one flood over 3 feet taking place by 2050. In order to address climate change, the city has made stormwater improvements, purchased land for green space, and planted hundreds of trees, according to the website.

9. Key West, Florida

• Total population (2016): 26,039

• Homes at risk: 6,921

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 36.7%

• Value at risk: $3.33 billion

Key West, Florida, is the southernmost point of the continental United States. It is known more for its snorkeling and scuba diving. With an average elevation of 4.7 feet above sea level, Key West is vulnerable to storm damage. Residents have learned to live with frequent flooding. A NOAA tidal measure in Key West has tallied an increase of 9 inches in sea level over the past century. To combat flooding, Key West has invested in one-way valves on storm drains to block seawaters from surging on to city streets.

8. Atlantic City, New Jersey

• Total population (2016): 39,306

• Homes at risk: 7,055

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 34.5%

• Value at risk: $1.05 billion

It's a good bet that Atlantic City, New Jersey, one of the East Coast's gambling meccas, will have flooding issues in the years to come. Nearly seven years ago, Superstorm Sandy shattered windows of casinos, forced residents to evacuate the city, and tore up the city's famed boardwalk. Climate Central predicts a 74% risk of at least one flood over 5 feet occurring between now and 2050 in the Atlantic City.

7. Wildwood, New Jersey

• Total population (2016): 5,192

• Homes at risk: 8,109

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 33.8%

• Value at risk: $2.38 billion

Wildwood, New Jersey, less than hour south of Atlantic City, is famed for its Doo Wop-era motels. It also suffered during Superstorm Sandy. A report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the New Jersey Back Bay region this past March said construction of seawalls in Wildwood and Sea Isle City, will "manage risk for both high and low frequency events." Construction of those storm walls may protect some of the more than 8,000 area homes at high flood risk.

6. Galveston, Texas

• Total population (2016): 49,443

• Homes at risk: 8,182

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 17.7%

• Value at risk: $2.46 billion

Galveston, Texas, is the site of the worst natural disaster in the nation's history, when in 1900, a hurricane swept over the city, killing 8,000 people. Galveston is about 51 miles southeast of downtown Houston, and the island city juts out into the Gulf Mexico. Climate Central projects a risk of 37% a flood of more than 9 feet will happen between now and 2050.

5. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

• Total population (2016): 39,651

• Homes at risk: 8,194

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 17.2%

• Value at risk: $4.66 billion

Golf haven Hilton Head, South Carolina, is at risk of soon going under water. Climate Central projects an 86% risk of at least one flood over 4 feet occurring between now and 2050. Over the 10-year period that ended in 2014, Hilton Head had 152 coastal flood days, compared with 115 for the previous 10-year span.

4. North Beach Haven, New Jersey

• Total population (2016): 2,250

• Homes at risk: 10,293

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 57.5%

• Value at risk: $7.78 billion

North Beach Haven, New Jersey, is a resort town on Long Beach Island, a long, narrow strip of land. The town is about an hour north of Atlantic City. Superstorm Sandy tore apart houses and left piles of sand in the streets of North Beach Haven in 2012. Climate Central projects a 74% risk of at least one flood over 5 feet taking place between today and 2050.

3. Ocean City, New Jersey

• Total population (2016): 11,430

• Homes at risk: 11,110

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 53.1%

• Value at risk: $5.89 billion

Ocean City, New Jersey, located about a half-hour south of Atlantic City, touts itself as a family-friendly beach resort that is also a dry town, meaning no alcohol can be purchased there. Sea-level increases and frequent flooding episodes have cost the town about $530 million in lost property value over the period from 2005 to 2017, according to a study done by data science organization First Street Foundation and Columbia University.

2. Ocean City, Maryland

• Total population (2016): 7,041

• Homes at risk: 11,478

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 34.9%

• Value at risk: $2.90 billion

Another Ocean City on our list is Ocean City, Maryland, just south of Delaware. There is a 93% risk at least one flood over 5 feet will occur between today and 2050 in the Ocean City area, according to Climate Central. Maryland's Eastern Shore is one of the communities that is at higher risk of rising waters, according to a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists, which also notes that half or more of the usable land in Ocean City may be chronically inundated by 2100.

1. Miami Beach, Florida

• Total population (2016): 91,784

• Homes at risk: 25,986

• Pct. of total pop. in at risk homes: 36.1%

• Value at risk: $16.63 billion

Miami Beach, Florida, is the U.S. city most likely to soon be under water. The city has more people and more property at risk of rising water than any other American city on our list. Miami Beach will face chronic inundation by 2035, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Nearly 26,000 homes area are at risk of flooding by 2060.

Methodology

To identify the beach towns that will soon be under water, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed ZIP-code level data on the value of property and the number of homes threatened by rising sea levels in 2060, which was then aggregated to the level of city and town. ZIP-code level data came from the Union of Concerned Scientists report “Underwater: Rising Seas, Chronic Floods, and the Implications for US Coastal Real Estate,” published in 2018. We also used data from Climate Central, an organization of concerned scientists and journalists reporting on the impact of climate change.

24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

'Iron Chef': 5 crucial changes on Netflix's 'Quest for an Iron Legend'

After "Iron Chef America" ruled the Food Network for more than a dozen seasons, the famed cooking competition is back on Netflix.

"Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend" is now streaming an 8-episode first season, shot in a new Los Angeles Kitchen Stadium with familiar basics – the show's elite Iron Chefs take on deadline cooking challenges against rival chefs with meals involving a secret ingredient announced by The Chairman (with actor Mark Dacascos reprising the role).

But there are noticeable "Iron Legend" changes that are "quite significant and crucial," says returning host Alton Brown. "But the show's DNA remains intact. This is evolution, not mutation."

Here are the top five differences:

Meet the new Iron Chefs: Who'll take on challengers in Kitchen Stadium

Newcomer Kristen Kish brings competition pedigree

"Top Chef" Season 10 winner Kristen Kish joins Brown as "Iron Legend" co-host, showing competition battle experience and interviewing the chefs on camera during the frenzied preparation. "Kristen can go down on the floor and ask great questions and really get inside people's heads," says Brown. "Then she comes back up and we can talk about it."

In another host twist, Brown and Kish join the show's judges – Nilou Motamed, Andrew Zimmern and one celebrity – at the judging table. "There we can continue the conversation, maybe even steer it," says Brown.

The hosts still do not have competition votes.

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Iron Chefs are international Avengers protecting the trophy

The Iron Chef culinary caliber is high, loaded with global stars including Dominique Crenn, the first female U.S. chef to earn three Michelin stars. The five-member team is also notably international with Mexican-born Gabriela Cámara (one of Time's magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2020), Ethiopian-born Marcus Samuelsson and Australian-born "Top Chef" franchise chef Curtis Stone.

"East Meets West" star chef Ming Tsai is the only American-born Iron Chef.

"It represents a global style and approach," says Brown. "It's fresh. I'm seeing stuff I've never seen. That's saying something."

The Iron Chefs are chosen to battle challenging chefs in individual competitions. But a new wrinkle brings the series' highest-scoring challenger into a battle royale against all five chefs – who join forces Avengers-style. If the combined Iron Chef team is defeated in the finale, The Chairman gives up the new golden trophy to the victorious challenger.

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"It's the ultimate trophy. It's something only a man of extreme wealth could create," says Dacascos who calls the first-ever Iron Chef team battle "monumental."

"If one lone challenger takes them down, shame, SHAME!" says Dacascos. "But if the challenger can pull it off, then respect. Until a challenger chef wins the trophy, it shall stand."

Brown says the Iron Chefs team cooks its own palpable tension.

"As much as they want to act like a team, they're extremely competitive individuals," Brown says. "It's a messy, big bowl of ego going on there."

The Los Angeles Kitchen Stadium is huge

Moving from the tight New York City former quarters to Los Angeles has opened up the battle, now big enough to allow an audience. The size gives room for new cameras, more angles and requires more chef running room in the Kitchen Stadium.

There's also room for significantly more food piled for the chefs to grab as the clock starts after The Chairman introduces the secret ingredient – which now has its own secret chamber.

"We have much more ingredients on the altar which is now like the ingredient garage," says Brown. "It allows larger thematic events and we can bring more food."

No commercials, more 'Iron Chef

Netflix streaming means there's more "Iron Chef," without commercials. The 46-minute shows are all cooking action and more discussion.

"We don't have to sign off, go to the commercial and then recap," says Brown. "We go without interruption."

There's even time for filling out the story of the mysterious Chairman, who gets tearful over a spice in one episode. "The show is wider and deeper, just like the tree, with deeper roots," says Dacascos.

The bald Chairman has turned it to 11

Martial arts star Dascascos's Chairman originally started in the same stern, bombastic vein as the Chairman Karga (Takeshi Kaga) from the Japanese "Iron Chef" (which ran from 1993 to 2002).

"In the old days, Mark was very serious," says Brown. "But he's managed to bring an absolutely lovable zaniness to The Chairman. And someone at Netflix told him to turn it to 11 now."

The eyes are wider, the martial arts moves more on display, his shouts quirkier. And the head is awesomely bald since Dascascos starred as the Keanu Reeves-fighting assassin Zero in "John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum."

"I shaved it for 'John Wick' and didn't grow it back for 'Iron Chef' to be like Yul Brynner or Telly Savalas," says Dacascos. "It's growing back now. If we get another season we'll see how The Chairman looks then."

Check out these recipes to up your kitchen game:

'The Great British Baking Show': New season is just absurd and bitter

For a certain segment of TV viewers who love all things quaint, British and baked, there is nothing as wonderful as new episodes of reality series "The Great British Baking Show." It's especially needed in 2020, the year of unrelenting tragedy amid the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters — returning to the darling white tent in the English countryside, where everyone is kind to each other and cakes are piled high, is a massive relief.

So it's unfortunate that the first quarantined episode of the series (streaming now on Netflix) continued the recent trend of throwing out the elements that made the show a phenomenon in the U.K. and a cult hit in the U.S., in favor of increasing Instagram-inspired absurdity. And it may be tough to make TV during the pandemic, but the judges, hosts and producers can't blame coronavirus for the problems. They're all self-inflicted.

The new season, numbered Season 8 on Netflix and Season 11 across the pond, has two major changes: The bakers remained in a "bubble" instead of returning home between weekends of filming, and co-host Sandi Tosvig has been replaced by British comedian Matt Lucas. Keeping the bakers at the tent for as long as they survive in the competition is actually more like standard American reality series like "Top Chef" or "MasterChef." The "Baking" model meant even contestants with demanding jobs and personal lives could participate during their free time. But during the pandemic how we define free time and where we work has changed anyway.

Lucas was a strange choice for the hosting gig. Tosvig joined the series in 2017 with Noel Fielding, replacing the comedic duo of Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. Fielding leans more towards the cringe and silly comedy while Tosvig provided warm, maternal energy for the bakers. Replacing her with Lucas, known for his own cringeworthy style, turns both hosts into a sideshow rather than reassuring emcees. In the first episode, his bits were more distracting than amusing.

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But the real problem with the season premiere was the showstopper challenge, the third of three tasks the bakers are given over each episode. In recent years, particularly since the series jumped from public broadcaster BBC to for-profit Channel 4 in the U.K., the challenges have veered from simple-but-stunning classic cakes and pies to absurd "biscuit selfies," "naturally colored bread sculptures," and "landscape desserts." The challenges feel like they're designed not for British teatimes but for Instagram likes. And, unfortunately, they can go very wrong.

This week's showstopper involved the bakers creating a cake in the shape of a bust of their favorite celebrity. Let's just be honest, this is a pretty stupid idea for a challenge. If you know anything about cake baking (and the devoted fans of this series absolutely do), you'll know that carving cakes is literally a recipe for bad cake. To retain an odd shape the cakes need to be firm and dry, which is not particularly palatable. To design a cake into a human face, excess amounts of fondant icing (a moldable and edible cake frosting that tastes awful) needed to be used. It wasn't a test of baking but of sculpting, and how many home bakers are champion sculptures of the human form? What does that have to do with baking something that tastes good?

Considering none of the bakers are professionals, the cakes just didn't look good, and most didn't taste very good, according to judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood. Watching the sloppy faces of what was meant to be Lupita Nyong'o or David Attenborough was more akin to watching Netflix's "Nailed It!" — a series devoted baking that's so bad it's hilarious — rather than "Baking," which usually celebrates amateur excellence.

It was a poor start to the season, all the more disappointing, because the whole year of 2020 has been one big "bad bake," to use the show's parlance. When the world is this tough we don't need Instagram cakes, we need the simplicity of "Baking" at its best. Producing TV in quarantine, with restrictions and safety regulations and isolation, is hard, but COVID isn't the reason "Baking" is failing. The flavor of the series is off, and it might never be quite as sweet again.

Netflix is raising prices for its subscription plans in the US and ...

New York (CNN Business) Your Netflix bill is about to go up again.

The streaming media company said Friday it is raising the prices on its plans in the United States and Canada.

In the United States, the subscription price for the standard plan rose $1.50 to $15.49. The basic plan went up $1 to $9.99 and the premium plan increased $2 to $19.99

In Canada, the price for Netflix's standard plan also went up $1.50 to $16.49 Canadian. The premium plan went up $2 to $20.99 Canadian. Its basic plan was unchanged.

Explaining its decision, Netflix provided a statement to CNN that was identical to its comment from October 2020 , the last time it raised its prices.

Read More

Netflix's collapse is a warning sign for stocks - CNN

A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business' Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here . You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.

London (CNN Business) Shares of Netflix ( NFLX ) are imploding after the company reported its first quarterly loss of subscribers in more than a decade, far underperforming expectations and worrying investors that had been betting that a handful of big tech companies would continue to grow at a rapid clip.

What's happening: Netflix's stock dropped 30% when the market opened on Wednesday, instantly wiping more than $45 billion off the value of the company.

Netflix said it shed 200,000 subscribers in the first three months of the year, when it had been expecting to add 2.5 million.

The streaming giant, whose stock had already dropped more than 40% year-to-date, blamed the attrition on increased competition for viewers and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Netflix said its decision to pull out of Russia cost the company 700,000 subscribers. But the economy isn't helping, either.

Inflation is forcing households to reevaluate their budgets. People in Great Britain canceled about 1.5 million streaming subscriptions in the first three months of 2022. More than a third did so to save money, according to a new report by media consultancy Kantar.

"Food and energy are people's priorities right now, not watching 'Stranger Things,'" CMC Markets chief market analyst Michael Hewson told me.

Netflix signaled it could make big changes to its business as it tries to stem the bleeding. It's taking another look at how to address password sharing. CEO Reed Hastings also told analysts that the company will consider a lower-price subscription option with advertising.

"I've been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription," Hastings said Tuesday. "But as much as I'm a fan of that, I'm a bigger fan of consumer choice."

Big picture: Hewson said the stock plunge shows that Netflix was extremely overvalued, as investors — flush with cash during the pandemic recovery — fed a huge rally. Shares of Netflix rose 86% from the end of 2019 through 2021, while the S&P 500 climbed 48%.

"They were assuming people were going to be locked down forever," Hewson said, adding that unlike Apple and Amazon, Netflix doesn't have many alternative sources of revenue.

Clearly, the market mood has changed. The strong reaction could set the stage for another turbulent earnings season, with investors already on edge after disappointing results from the big banks.

When companies reported fourth quarter results earlier this year, Netflix and Facebook experienced huge stock losses as investors signaled growing sensitivity to downbeat predictions for the future. That was because the Federal Reserve was set to start raising interest rates, a move that would weigh on high-growth companies. Facebook's disastrous results triggered the biggest loss in market value for an S&P 500 company on record.

Now, rates are officially on the rise, and there's daily debate about whether the Fed could be even more aggressive than expected. The war in Ukraine is also dragging down sentiment. That could tee up big swings for top stocks as they disclose results.

Attention turns to Tesla earnings

Investors have been spending a lot of time following CEO Elon Musk's ploy to buy Twitter. But come Wednesday evening, attention will turn back to a company he already controls.

Tesla TSLA reports first quarter results after markets close. Analysts have strong expectations, my CNN Business colleague Chris Isidore reports.

The electric carmaker's earnings are forecast to jump 142% from a year ago. Other traditional automakers, such as General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen are all expected to report a drop in earnings due to supply chain problems and production issues.

Watch this space: Musk joined the call with analysts last quarter. Will he be on this time around?

If he isn't, that could feed Wall Street's worries that he's too busy trying to take Twitter private to deal with his management responsibilities. If Musk does dial in, there could still be risks, given his tendency to speak off the cuff.

Another point of focus will be lockdowns in China, which have affected Tesla's production in Shanghai. Credit Suisse analysts estimate that the recent shutdown there prevented the manufacture of 90,000 vehicles.

Shareholders will want to know if the plant can stay open given restrictions, and how suppliers of critical parts such as batteries are faring.

Investor insight: A lot is riding on Tesla's performance. Disappointing results could further disrupt a stock market that's already unsteady.

Gas prices are creeping higher again

Prices at the pump have stopped falling from their recent highs — and some forecasters are warning of another uptick as the summer driving season looms and the war in Ukraine drags on, my CNN Business colleague Matt Egan reports.

After a slow-but-steady decline, the national average price for regular gasoline bottomed out at $4.07 a gallon last week, according to AAA. Since then the national average has increased five days in a row , climbing to $4.11 a gallon on Wednesday.

It's the first increase in gas prices since early March, when turmoil in energy markets hit a crescendo following the invasion of Ukraine. And it dashes hopes that the national average would drop to $4 a gallon, taking pressure off inflation that's running at the fastest pace in 40 years.

"It isn't going down anymore," said Andy Lipow, president of consulting firm Lipow Oil. "This is terrible news for inflation."

Previously, Lipow had been forecasting a return to $4 gas. But he abandoned that call because of renewed concerns about Russia's oil supplies and a pop in gasoline futures, a major driver of wholesale and retail prices.

Up next

Procter & Gamble PG SL Green Realty SLG Tesla TSLA Alcoa AA United Airlines UAL reports results before US markets open.andfollow after the close.

Also today: US existing home sales for March arrive at 10 a.m. ET.

Netflix stock plunges after subscriber losses | CNN Business

After shares tanked earlier this year because of concerns over its subscriber growth, the streaming leader said that it lost subscribers when it reported first quarter earnings on Tuesday.

now has 221.6 million subscribers globally. It shed 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, the company reported on Tuesday, adding that it expects to lose another two million in the second quarter. The service was expected to add 2.5 million subscribers in the first three months of the year.

Netflix's stock dropped 35% on Wednesday, instantly wiping $50 billion off the value of the company.

Netflix's first quarter profit was $1.6 billion, down from $1.7 billion in the year-earlier quarter. Revenue jumped nearly 10%, to $7.9 billion.

It cannot be overstated just how bad of a report this is for the king of streaming. The company's stock has fallen more than 40% year to date, and coming into the earnings there was a lot of concern from investors regarding its growth. The company hasn't lost subscribers in more than a decade.

What happened?

In its letter to investors, the company said that since it launched streaming in 2007, the company has "operated under the firm belief that internet-delivered, on demand entertainment will supplant linear TV," But, it added, in the near term "we're not growing revenue as fast as we'd like."

Netflix said that the pandemic "clouded the picture by significantly increasing our growth in 2020, leading us to believe that most of our slowing growth in 2021 was due to the Covid pull forward."

But there are many different factors behind its subscriber stagnation, including competition from traditional media companies that have gotten into the streaming market in recent years, as well as widespread password sharing

"In addition to our 222 million paying households, we estimate that Netflix is being shared with over 100 million additional households, including over 30 million in the [United States/Canada] region," the company said.

The company also blamed "macro factors" that are affecting many companies right now, such as "sluggish economic growth, increasing inflation, geopolitical events such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine , and some continued disruption from Covid are likely having an impact as well."

Netflix said that pulling out of Russia cost the company 700,000 subscribers.

The company's bad report is likely to roil the streaming market given that so many other firms have changed their business strategies to compete with Netflix.

Disney DIS , for example — one of Netflix's biggest rivals — was down roughly 5% Tuesday evening.

What now?

Netflix told investors Tuesday that it plans to turn the tide by doing what it's always done: Improving the service.

"Our plan is to reaccelerate our viewing and revenue growth by continuing to improve all aspects of Netflix — in particular the quality of our programming and recommendations, which is what our members value most," the company said.

The company added that it's "doubling down on story development and creative excellence" and that it launched the "double thumbs up" tool that will allow members to "better express what they truly love versus simply like."

Netflix also said it will focus more on "how best to monetize sharing" in terms of passwords.

"Sharing likely helped fuel our growth by getting more people using and enjoying Netflix. And we've always tried to make sharing within a member's household easy, with features like profiles and multiple streams," the company said. "While these have been very popular, they've created confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared with other households."

The company said last month that over the last year, it's been working on ways to "enable members who share outside their household to do so easily and securely, while also paying a bit more."

"While we won't be able to monetize all of it right now, we believe it's a large short- to mid-term opportunity," it said.

Another place that could help increase revenue and attract more subscribers for the service is advertising.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has always been allergic to the idea of having commercials on the platform, but on Tuesday's call with analysts he mentioned that it could be a possibility in the future.

"Those who have followed Netflix know that I've been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription. But as much as I'm a fan of that, I'm a bigger fan of consumer choice," Hastings said on the post-earnings call. "And allowing consumers who like to have a lower price, and are advertising tolerant, get what they want makes a lot of sense."

He added that the company is looking at that now and trying to figure it out "over the next year or two."

"Think of us quite open to offering even lower prices with advertising," Hastings said.

Despite the dramatic growth slowdown that puts its strategy into question, Netflix remained defiant.

"This focus on continuous improvement has served us well over the past 25 years," Netflix said. "It's why we are now the largest subscription streaming service in the world on all key metrics: paid memberships, engagement, revenue and profit."

Correction: An earlier version of this article included an incorrect reference to fourth quarter earnings and misstated profit and revenue.