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After Netflix dropped its cheapest ad-free plan in Canada last month, it’s now doing the same in the US and UK, as first spotted by Cord Busters. Netflix’s support page in both countries states that the $9.99 (£6.99) / month basic plan is no longer available “for new or rejoining members.”
If you’re already subscribed to the basic plan, you can keep the subscription as long as you don’t cancel it or change plans. But if you were looking to downgrade your Netflix subscription to a cheaper ad-free plan, you’re out of luck. With this change, Netflix now only offers a $6.99 (£4.99) / month ad-supported tier, the $15.49 (£10.99) / month standard plan, and the $19.99 (£15.99) / month premium plan.
The $9.99 / month basic tier served as a middle ground between Netflix’s more expensive ad-free tiers and its ad-supported plan, letting you stream in HD on only one device at a time. Netflix spokesperson Kumiko Hidaka confirmed the removal of the plan 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.”
Unfortunately, the writing was on the wall for Netflix’s basic plan when it silently removed it in Canada. In the US and UK, Netflix also started hiding the basic plan when new users signed up to the platform, requiring them to click a “see all plans” button for it to appear as an option alongside its other plans. The basic plan also didn’t let you add an extra member to your account as part of its paid sharing policy.
Netflix is set to report its earnings this afternoon, so we probably won’t have to wait long to hear more about this decision.
