Netflix axes its cheapest ad-free plan. Here’s how much you’ll have to pay now

[ad_1]

Unrecognizable young Caucasian girl, lying on her couch watching TV in her living room. Only her legs are visible. She is relaxing with a cup of tea on the table, while watching Netflix.

Israel Sebastian via Getty Images/ZDNET

Netflix eliminated its lowest-cost ad-free subscription plan, emphasizing an ad-supported business model. The streaming service company cut the basic ad-free tier in Canada last month, and now US and UK customers are seeing the same strategy unfold in their own living rooms. 

Also: The best video streaming services: Netflix vs. Hulu vs. Disney+ and more

As of yesterday, Netflix offered four subscription plans for customers: Standard with ads at $6.99, Basic ad-free at $9.99, Standard ad-free at $15.49, and Premium ad-free at $19.99. Today, the company only offers three, eliminating the Basic ad-free option that cost customers $9.99.

This means that the cheapest option for customers that want to watch Netflix without having to sit through ads now costs $15.49 a month. 

Also: Should you buy an 8K TV? How to decide, according to an expert

The Basic plan allowed subscribers to stream high-definition content, up to 720p, without ads. In contrast to the Premium plan, which lets users stream on up to four devices at once, Basic plan subscribers could only stream on one device at a time. Though new subscribers cannot sign up for the Basic plan, it’s unclear how long current users will continue paying the $9.99 fee. 

Netflix has garnered media attention for months since it started cracking down on customers sharing passwords between different households, losing some subscribers and gaining others in the process.



[ad_2]

Source link