SmugMug acquired Flickr two years ago, and since then, Flickr has gone through a series of tumultuous changes. Now, The Verge reports that SmugMug is pleading with Flickr users to upgrade to the “Pro” subscription to help “keep the Flickr dream alive.”
In a letter sent to Flickr users today, Smug CEO Don MacAskill acknowledged some of the struggles Flickr has faced, calling it “the world’s most-beloved, money losing business.” To help combat that, MacAskill says that users can upgrade to the Flickr Pro subscription.
MacAskill also pointed out that SmugMug’s acquisition of Flickr wasn’t driven by a desire to collect and sell user data. Instead, SmugMug completed the acquisition because “Flickr deserves not only to live on but to thrive.”
With all of that being said, MacAskill admits that Flickr “can’t continue to operate at a loss” as it has been doing. And to help increase adoption of the “Pro” subscription, SmugMug is planning a promotion. Normaly, Flickr Pro costs $49.99 per year – but a discount available starting December 26th cuts that to $3 per month.
MacAskill concludes:
Last year, Flickr was forced to end its 1TB free plan, reducing the free storage account to 1,000 photos of any size. Seemingly, that switch hasn’t fully solved Flickr’s problems, with the company again doubling down on its “Pro” subscription as it looks to become profitable.
