Netflix Is No Longer Offering Its Basic Ad-Free Plan in the US and UK – CNET [CNET]

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That’s a wrap for the cheapest ad-free option, unless you already have it.

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kourtjackson-rv

Kourtnee covers TV streaming services and home entertainment news and reviews at CNET. She previously worked as an entertainment reporter at Showbiz Cheat Sheet where she wrote about film, television, music, celebrities, and streaming platforms.

Expertise Kourtnee is a longtime cord-cutter who’s subscribed to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Crunchyroll, Sling, Spotify and more. As a real-life user of these services, she tracks the latest developments in streaming, the newest re Credentials

  • Though Kourtnee hasn’t won any journalism awards yet, she’s been a Netflix streaming subscriber since 2012 and knows the magic of its hidden codes.

Netflix has eliminated its basic $10-a-month subscription from its lineup in the US and UK, giving new subscribers one less option to stream without ads. The price tier has been removed from its website and only shows three options. The move comes after the streaming service phased out the basic plan in Canada in late June. 

The basic, commercial-free plan came with mobile downloads and the ability to stream on one device at a time. Compared its newer, ad-based option, the only difference was the price and mobile download feature. During its earnings call in April, Netflix announced changes to the ad-supported plan, which costs $7 a month and has become its most popular offering among customers. The company said it would roll out upgrades, including 1080p video quality (an increase from 720p) and two simultaneous streams.

If you visit Netflix’s pricing page today, the plans that are listed are Standard with Ads ($7), Standard ($15.50) and Premium ($20), with some minor tweaks to their offerings. New members can only sign up for one of these three subscriptions:

Netflix Plans in the US

Standard with ads Standard Premium
Monthly price $7 $15.50 $20
Number of screens you can watch at the same time 2 2 4
Number of phones or tablets you can have downloads on 0 2 6
HD available Yes Yes Yes
Ultra HD available No No Yes

People who already have the Basic ad-free plan will be able to keep it unless they cancel their membership or change subscriptions, according to Netflix. 

In an email to CNET, a Netflix spokesperson spotlighted the inexpensive prices for the streamer’s ad-based plans in the US and UK, saying that they’re “lower than the competition and provide great value to consumers given the breadth and quality of our catalog.” 

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