With little fanfare or notice, Netflix today dropped its lowest-priced ad-free plan in the United States and the United Kingdom, making it more expensive for new subscribers to enjoy ad-free streaming.
In the U.S., the Basic plan was priced at $9.99 per month, and with its removal, ad-free streaming now starts at $15.49 per month. Netflix subscribers can opt for the $6.99 per month “Standard with ads” plan, but as you might have been able to tell, that plan includes advertisements.
New customers who want an ad-free streaming experience will now need to pay $5.50 more without the Basic plan. As noted by Cord Busters, this shift will put more focus on Netflix’s ad-supported plan.
Netflix debuted an ad-supported tier in November 2022, after losing subscribers for the first time in 10 years in early 2022. In addition to premiering a cheaper ad-supported tier, it also recently began cracking down on multi-household password sharing.
The ad-supported tier shows between four and five minutes of ads per hour. Ads vary in length from 15 to 30 seconds and play before and during TV shows and movies.
Netflix customers who were already subscribed to the $9.99 Basic plan can keep their plans for now. The change is currently limited to new or rejoining members. Customers can remain on the Basic plan until they change plans or cancel their accounts.
Netflix limitations and pricing across all tiers is as follows:
| Netflix Plans | Features |
|---|---|
| Standard with ads |
|
| Standard |
|
| Premium |
|