Frustration is brewing among Netflix subscribers in the UK and Canada as the streaming giant phases out its most affordable ad-free plan. This move forces existing users on the basic plan to make a difficult choice: pay more for a different subscription or cancel Netflix altogether.
Evidence of the phase-out surfaced on the aptly named “MildlyInfuriating” subreddit, where users shared screenshots of a Netflix alert. The message informs viewers of their approaching deadline (July 13th) to access the platform and prompts them to choose a new plan. Three options are presented: the $5.99 monthly Standard with Ads plan, the $16.49 monthly Standard plan (presumably ad-free), and the $20.99 monthly Premium subscription.
This decision by Netflix has unsurprisingly sparked a wave of discontent among subscribers. The comments section of a social media post highlighting the change is overflowing with user frustration and disappointment with Netflix’s direction.
While the exact location of the phase-out isn’t confirmed (the post lacks location details), Canadian pricing displayed in the image suggests the user is likely from Canada. This aligns with reports on the Netflix subreddit over the past two months, indicating Canada and the UK are the first countries to see the Basic plan disappear.
This is further confirmed by emails received by some of the commentators on the social media post. These emails from Netflix announce the end of their ad-free Basic plan and encourage subscribers to choose a different subscription tier.
Even more, confirmation comes from Netflix’s own Help Center. Both the Canadian and UK “Plans and Pricing” pages now explicitly state that “The Basic plan has been discontinued.”
The phase-out appears to be rolling out in stages. One user reported a June 8th deadline to pick a new plan, while another had until June 15th. The current shut-off date of July 13th suggests another wave of subscribers may be affected soon.