Netflix is making more changes to its subscription offerings and will completely phase out its cheapest basic ad-free option. The streaming giant announced the news in its letter to shareholders on Tuesday, saying it will begin with the UK and Canada in the second quarter. After increasing the price from $10 to $12 per month for existing subscribers, Netflix is eliminating the plan altogether for all members.
The streamer dropped its Basic ad-free plan for new subscribers in the US and UK in July 2023 and followed up with a price increase for those who were grandfathered into the subscription last October. The price was bumped up to $12 per month for existing customers around the world.
With the new change this year, subscribers will have three plans to choose from: Basic with Ads ($7 per month), ad-free Standard ($15.50 a month) or Premium ($23 per month). If you want to share your account with someone outside your household, there’s an optional extra member fee of $8 per month. Netflix’s ad-based plan is one of its most popular — and cheaper than rivals Disney Plus and Hulu — but we’ll note not every title is available to stream on the plan. You must upgrade to access certain TV shows and blockbuster movies.
The streaming service cited its entertainment value and highlighted its expanding video games lineup and live sports programming. After testing the live streaming waters with a comedy special and golf tournament, Netflix is diving deeper into live sports. It will stream a tennis match between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz this March, and the media giant just inked a deal with the WWE. Starting January 2025, wrestling fans in the US, UK, Canada and Latin America can watch live Monday Night Raw matches on the platform, with additional regions to come. Netflix will also be the destination for international subscribers who want to watch Smackdown, WrestleMania and other popular WWE content.
Be sure to check out our coverage on Netflix’s games and what ad-based subscriptions offer across the streaming universe.
