Netflix just removed the $10 Basic plan in the US and the UK
Netflix has been making a number of unpopular moves in recent months, none more so than the crackdown on password sharing. Over the past several months, the company diligently imposed its new ban in several regions around the world before implementing the policy in the U.S. earlier this year. The streaming giant also recently announced plans to shut down its iconic DVD rental service after more than 25 years of operations. Now it has made yet another change that’s sure to ruffle a few feathers.
Netflix has removed its advertising-free ‘Basic’ plan in the U.S. and the U.K. in a move that’s meant to force new subscribers to sign-up for more expensive plans. It was the most inexpensive ad-free tier on Netflix and was priced at $9.99 per month in the U.S. and £6.99 per month in the U.K. As of Wednesday morning, the company’s sign-up page clearly shows only three available plans, including the ad-supported Standard plan that costs $6.99 per month, the ad-free Standard plan that’s charged at $15.99, and the Ultra HD Premium plan that will cost you $19.99.
While there’s no mention of the deprecated Basic plan on the sign-up page, the company did address the issue on its ‘Plans and Pricing’ support page, where it wrote“The Basic plan is no longer available for new or rejoining members. If you are currently on the Basic plan, you can remain on this plan until you change plans or cancel your account.” While the move is likely to be met with protests from users across the country, it is not entirely a bolt from the blue, as the company did the exact same thing in Canada last month.
While it was available, the Basic plan was the most inexpensive ad-free option to watch Netflix, offering up to 720p streaming on one device at a time. In contrast, both the ad-supported and ad-free ‘Standard’ plans offer up to 1080p streaming on two devices simultaneously. As for the ‘Premium’ plan, it offers streaming in glorious 4K UHD (with HDR) on four devices simultaneously.
