Netflix has begun notifying legacy subscribers to its cheapest ad-free plan, now priced at $11.99 a month, that they need to switch their service tier or lose access to the streaming service.
“Your last day to watch Netflix is July 13th. Choose a new plan to keep watching,” reads Netflix’s message to one Reddit user (which was first spotted by The Verge). “Your Basic plan has been discontinued, but you can easily switch to a new one. Plans start at just $5.99 with upgraded features.”
Can't finish Netflix subscription from r/mildlyinfuriating
The news follows a January announcement in Netflix's first-quarter shareholders letter that the service would soon remove the Basic ad-free plan “starting with Canada and the UK in Q2," before "taking it from there.”
When asked for comment, Netflix directed Next TV back to that statement.
Netflix began phasing out its "Basic" plan last year, following the November 2022 launch of the $6.99 Basic with ads tier. It stopped marketing the Basic no-ads tiers to new subscribers, while upping the price for legacy customers from $9.99 a month to $11.00.
In February, Next TV reported that Netflix was no longer letting legacy users of ad-free Basic pay for the service via the Apple Store.
Now, users need to either switch to the cheaper $6.99 tier, which also supports one user at a time and HD viewing, but requires the viewing of commercials. They can also upgrade to the $15.49-a-month "Standard" plan (which supports two simultaneous users) or the $22.99-a-month "Premium" tier, which allows four users at once and supports 4K.
