Netflix is phasing out its cheapest ad-free plan in Canada

Last year, Netflix quietly axed its $9.99/month ‘Basic’ membership. This meant that new and returning subscribers were suddenly unable to access the streamer’s lowest-cost ad-free tier. However, active Basic members were able to continue paying $9.99/month, with Netflix saying it would be phased out “in the near future.”

Now, over one year later, Netflix is finally doing just that. On Reddit, several Basic plan users in Canada and the UK report that they’ve received messages from the streamer that their “last day to watch Netflix” is July 13th. (You can tell the original poster, u/BritestBowlingBall in the below Reddit thread is in Canada based on the listed prices of the Netflix subscriptions.)

Can’t finish Netflix subscription
byu/BritestBowlingBall inmildlyinfuriating

On that date, they’ll have to subscribe to one of Netflix’s three other plans:

• Standard with ads: $5.99/month, 1080p, “great” video quality, simultaneous viewing on two screens, no downloads
• Standard: $16.49/month, 1080p (Full HD), “great” video quality, simultaneous viewing on two devices, downloads included
• Premium: $20.99, 4K (Ultra HD) +HDR, “best” video quality, simultaneous viewing on four screens, downloads included

Unfortunately, this change means that all Canadians will now have to pay either $16.49/month or $20.99/month for Netflix without ads. (That said, the streamer says the lower-cost ad tier has proven quite popular, having reached over 40 million users worldwide.)

If you’re still on the Basic plan, will you switch over to one of Netflix’s other memberships? If so, which one? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Reddit — u/BritestBowlingBall Via: The Verge