Netflix to Remove Cheapest Ad-Free Plan for US Subscribers

In recent months, Netflix has been transitioning subscribers away from the Basic plan, which was officially discontinued earlier this year. The Basic plan was the most affordable way to access Netflix without ads. However, Netflix removed the option to sign up for it in January, aiming to push more users towards its ad-supported plan.

Following this change, Basic plan members in certain regions started receiving notifications from Netflix, prompting them to select a new plan. Now, anyone on the Basic plan in the US faces the same decision.

After revealing Q2 2024 earnings on Thursday, Netflix sent a letter to shareholders summarizing the quarter’s outcomes. Netflix confirmed in the letter that Basic plan members in the US and France will soon be asked to switch their plans.

Netflix executives told shareholders, “Just over 18 months since launch, we continue to scale our ads tier, which now accounts for over 45% of all signups in our ads markets. Its attractiveness ($6.99 a month in the US, with two streams, high definition and downloads) — coupled with the phasing out of our Basic plan in the UK and Canada, which we will now start in the US and France — has increased our ads member base by 34% sequentially in Q2.”

For those still on the Basic plan, it’s time to decide their next move. Netflix will soon ask its US Basic plan members to either choose a new plan or cancel their accounts. These are the only two options available.

If you want to continue watching Netflix despite these changes, you will have three plans to choose from. The Standard with ads is now the cheapest option at $6.99/month, though it does not include the full content library that ad-free plans offer. The Standard plan costs $15.49/month, while the Premium plan, which includes Ultra HD video quality, is $22.99/month.

The post originally appeared on BGR.

Source: BGR