Netflix is moving ahead with its plan to end its cheapest ad-free subscription. It’s starting in the UK and Canada, but more countries will undoubtedly follow.
The streaming giant has reportedly begun notifying users via on-screen messages about the last day they will have access to the service unless they upgrade. One Reddit user shared a notification they received from the Netflix app, which read: “Your last day to watch Netflix is July 13. Choose a new plan to keep watching.” Customers are being asked to opt for the cheaper Standard with ads, or the more expensive Standard or Premium 4K plans instead.
In the UK, users are being advised that their £7.99-per-month Basic subscription has been discontinued, and that they can either sign up for the ad-supported Standard plan for £4.99 or pay £10.99 for the Standard plan. The £10.99 plan includes access to 1080p streams, watching on two devices simultaneously, and downloading on up to two devices. Meanwhile, the ad-supported Standard plan still offers 1080p video quality, but of course injects ads into streams.
Canadian subscribers will also receive notifications about the last day of viewing for their Basic plan. In Canada, the price increase is more significant, from $9.99 for the Basic plan to $16.49 for the Standard plan. Users can also save $4 by opting for the Standard with Ads plan ($5.99).
The Basic plan, which costs $11.99 per month in the United States, has been unavailable to new subscribers since last year. In its early 2024 earnings call, Netflix announced that it plans to discontinue the Basic plan in select countries where the ad-supported plan has been introduced, starting with Canada and the U.K. in the second quarter, and “push it out from there.” Netflix said in May that its ad-supported streaming tier had 40 million global monthly active users, up 35 million from a year ago.
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