Netflix is moving forward with its plan to phase out its cheapest ad-free tier for existing users. According to several posts on Reddit, Netflix is now prompting some subscribers on the basic plan to switch to a new plan if they want to continue using the service.
One Reddit user shared a notification they received on their Netflix app stating, “Your last day to watch Netflix is July 13th. Choose a new plan to keep watching.” Subscribers who currently pay $11.99 per month for the basic plan must choose between the $6.99 ad-supported tier, the $15.49 ad-free tier, or the $22.99 ad-free 4K premium plan.
It appears that most of the users receiving this prompt are in Canada or the UK. This aligns with Netflix’s earlier announcement that it would start phasing out the basic plan for existing subscribers in these regions in the second quarter of this year. The pricing page for Netflix in both Canada and the UK now states that the “Basic plan has been discontinued” and that users can change their plan at any time.
Last year, Netflix stopped offering the basic plan to new or returning members in the US, Canada, and the UK. However, Netflix has not specified when it will begin phasing out the basic plan for existing subscribers in the US. When asked for comment, Netflix referred The Verge to a statement made during its January earnings call.
Netflix, like many other streaming services, is encouraging users to switch to its ad-supported plan, which had grown to over 40 million users as of May.
