After launching its cheapest ad-free plan in Canada last month, Netflix has followed suit in the US and UK, as first spotted by Cord Busters. Netflix’s support page in both countries states that the basic plan of $9.99 (£6.99) a month is no longer available to “new members or those who rejoin”.
In its earnings report on Wednesday afternoon, Netflix stated: “In the first quarter, we reduced prices in several low penetration markets, and in the second quarter, we phased out our basic ad-free plan for new members and those returning to Canada (existing ad-free basic plan members were not affected). $9 and £4) to consumers.”
Users who are currently on the Basic Plan, will be able to keep their subscription as long as they do not cancel it or change to another plan. However, if you’re looking to switch to a cheaper, ad-free plan, you’re out of luck. With this change, Netflix now only offers one ad-supported tier for $6.99 (£4.99) per month, the Standard plan for $15.49 (£10.99) per month, and the Premium plan for $19.99 (£15.99) per month.
Previously, Netflix hid its base plan behind the “See All Plans” button. Netflix spokeswoman Kumiko Hidaka confirmed the plan’s cancellation in a statement to The Verge, adding that “the service’s starting prices of $6.99 in the US and £4.99 in the UK are lower than the competition.”
On Wednesday, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters explained that the goal of the platform is to “optimize” the structure of service plans, stating that “we want to give consumers access to a wide range of prices.” “We believe the ticket prices we have now offer incredible value in entertainment and attract a large number of subscribers.”
Sadly, the fate of the Netflix Basic plan was already sealed when it was quietly dumped in Canada. In the US and UK, Netflix has also started hiding the basic plan when new users sign up with the platform, forcing them to click the “See all plans” button to have it appear as an option alongside their other offerings. Also, the basic plan did not allow additional members to be added to the account, as part of their co-payment policy.
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