If you love Netflix’s cheapest ads-free tier, you may have to say goodbye soon.
According to The Verge, Netflix, which stopped letting new users sign up for its “Basic” ads-free tier in the summer of 2023, just before its ad tier launched, announced during its quarterly earnings report that this will change in 2024.
Per the announcement, the ads-free Basic tier would be phased out entirely, starting with the UK and Canada in Q2 2024, with the US and other countries to follow.
The move is seen as an effort to push users to more lucrative subscriptions. Users will have to choose to either spend $15.49 on 1080p ads-free content or $6.99 for ad-supported content.
Netflix has offered the following statement on the matter:
“In Q4’23, like the quarter before, our ads membership increased by nearly 70 percent quarter over quarter, supported by improvements in our offering (e.g., downloads) and the phasing out of our Basic plan for new and rejoining members in our ads markets.
The ads plan now accounts for 40 percent of all Netflix sign-ups in our ads markets and we’re looking to retire our Basic plan in some of our ads countries, starting with Canada and the UK in Q2 and taking it from there.”
Netflix has continued to boost its prices as well as change its subscription tiers to ensure the swath of content it buys can be paid for with maximum profits.
Netflix also announced it struck a 10-year deal with WWE to air “Monday Night RAW” in its content lineup.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and The Verge