Netflix has pulled its cheapest ad-free plan in the US and UK. The streaming giant’s support page in both countries reveals that the $9.99 per month Basic tier is no longer available “for new or rejoining members.”

Now, there are only three options for new or returning subscribers: a $6.99 per month Standard with Ads plan, the $15.49 Standard tier, and the $19.99 Premium plan. Current Basic plan subscribers can stay on that tier for now, as long as they don’t cancel or change their plan.

The $9.99 Basic plan served as a nice middle ground between the cheapest Netflix plan and the more expensive ad-free tiers, as long as subscribers didn’t need to stream in HD on more than one device at a time. As The Verge points out, Netflix previously hinted at the move by hiding the Basic subscription behind a “see all plans” button for new users signing up for the service. It also silently scrapped the Basic plan in Canada last month.

Netflix launched its ad-supported tier in November without many popular TV shows and movies. However, the streamer touted its success at an upfront advertising presentation in May, boasting that the plan had “nearly 5 million” monthly active users (which is not the same as subscribers) at the time.

https://consequence.net/2023/07/netflix-ad-free-basic-plan-removed/