Netflix ends its cheapest ad-free plan for some users


Netflix prepares users to say goodbye to its cheapest ad-free plan.

Netflix users in the UK and Canada are asked to change their plan, as the streaming service provider is about to suspend its ad-free basic plan.

The current plan's subscription is $11.99, but it's only valid until July 13th. For US users, a Standard plan with ads costs $6.99 / month, while a Standard plan with ad-free content costs $15.49 / month.

ADVERTISEMENT

The news was soon confirmed on Reddit, with some Netflix users sharing the message they received from the company: “Your last day to watch Netflix is July 13. Choose a new plan to keep watching. Your Basic plan has been discontinued, but you can easily switch to a new one. Plans start at just $5.99 with upgraded features.”

The changes in Netflix plan offers aren’t new. Last year, Netflix removed its basic plan for new and returning subscribers in Canada, the US, and the UK, and it plans to suspend the same subscription option for existing users in the second half of 2024.

The company’s update sparked a discussion between Reddit users, who were disappointed in these changes. One of the main issues discussed was that some users couldn’t use the services for the remaining few weeks of their plan without choosing the new plan.

“Feels like a class action lawsuit waiting to happen. Right now, you have no access to a service you’ve paid for without selecting a future option,” notes one of the Redditors with others also chiming in with comments about Netflix’s “atrocious” customer service.

Many users shared that such changes, which include paying for services with ads, are making them want to return to piracy.

“As our lord and savior Gabe Newell once said: piracy is a service issue. The streaming companies are now offering a worse service than piracy, so piracy is on the rise. If you need 4-5 streaming services to get all the content you want at $20/month and still need to suffer through commercials, may as well just go back to cable,” a Reddit user said.

ADVERTISEMENT