What you need to know
- After Canada, users in the U.K. and the U.S. doesn't have the "Basic" plan on Netflix.
- The current starting plan in the said regions starts at $6.99 and £4.99, respectively.
- The existing "Basic" plan users can continue to enjoy the service.
After axing the cheapest ad-free tier in Canada, Netflix has chosen to do the same in other regions, including the U.S. and the U.K.
The expected move comes from the streaming giant this morning, as noted by Cord Busters, in favor of diverting users to its ad-supported tier in the countries mentioned above. The existing "Basic" plan users would continue to utilize the services unless they choose to cancel or change subscription models.
However, new customers wouldn't be able to do so. Instead, they need to opt for an ad-supported plan if they're looking for an affordable plan to join Netflix.
Users in the U.S., after the new change, can continue to enjoy Netflix either through the ad-supported plan, which is $6.99 per month, followed by $15.49 per month, for the standard plan, and the premium subscription plan costs $19.99 per month. Similarly, in the U.K., the plans start at £4.99, £10.99, and £15.99 per month, respectively.
In a statement to The Verge, Netflix's spokesperson Kumiko Hidaka has confirmed removing the "Basic" plan. Hidaka further added the streaming platform's "starting prices of $6.99 in the U.S. and £4.99 in the U.K. are lower than the competition."
The Cord Busters further implies that after Canada, and now followed by the U.K. and the U.S.; other regions may be in the pipeline of getting the respective "Basic" plan removed in favor of the adverts' supported plan introduced last year. It included users enjoying their favorite shows for a lower price but at the expense of watching several minutes of ads per hour of streaming.
The axed "Basic" plan included 720p quality streaming, wherein the "Standard with Ads" plan supports 1080p streaming similar to the "Standard" plan. However, the ad-supported plan is limited, as users cannot download content on supported devices.
Regardless, the "Basic" plan costing $9.99 in the U.S. and other regions, sat right between the ad-supported and standard plans; it offered somewhat the best of both worlds without burning a hole in the pocket.
