Netflix Removes $10 ‘Basic’ Plan in US and UK

Netflix has discontinued its $10 Basic tier option, which does not include ads, in the US and the UK. The company has updated its Plans and Pricing page to inform new and returning members that they can no longer sign up for the Basic tier. However, current members can continue with their membership until they decide to cancel or make changes to their subscription. The Basic tier was initially removed in Canada, where users often experience service changes first. This move coincided with Netflix’s efforts to crack down on password-sharing, which was eventually implemented worldwide.

As Cord Busters points out, Netflix has been steering its audience toward the Standard Ad-Supported plan for some time, and previously made the Basic plan virtually invisible upon signup. Now the basic plan really doesn’t exist anymore in some areas. Without it, users in the US and UK will have to pay at least $15.49 and £11 per month, respectively, if they don’t want ads to interfere with their streaming experience. The standard package supports streaming on two devices at a time and can stream content in Full HD. It also allows users to download content for offline viewing on two devices and allows them to add an additional member who does not live with them for an additional fee.

Still, the Basic option worked great for those who don’t care about HD streaming on one device, just want to download content to one phone or tablet, and don’t need to add an extra person to their account. If they don’t want to pay more than $5 more for a standard plan, they now have to settle for the Standard Ad-Supported tier, which costs $7 a month in the US and £5 in the UK. It supports Full HD streaming and dual-device viewing like the ad-free standard plan, but there’s no offline viewing and no option to add a member. Subscribers can expect to see an average of 4 minutes of ads per hour, about 15-30 seconds each, which of course they can’t skip.