Netflix has stopped offering its cheapest ad-free tier in Canada, as reported earlier by TechCrunch. In a statement to The Verge, Netflix spokesperson Kumiko Hidaka confirmed Netflix will no longer offer the $9.99 CAD per month basic plan to new members but says existing subscribers aren’t affected.
Netflix drops its cheapest ad-free plan in Canada
Netflix drops its cheapest ad-free plan in Canada
The removal of Netflix’s basic plan means users in Canada now only have three plans to choose from: the $5.99 CAD / month standard with ads plan, the $16.49 CAD / month standard ad-free plan, and the $20.99 CAD / month premium ad-free tier. At $9.99 CAD per month, the ad-free basic plan helped bridge that gap between Netflix’s ad-supported and more expensive tiers, even if it only let users watch in HD and on one device at a time.
Netflix has since removed the basic plan from its list of plans in Canada, noting that it’s “no longer available for new or rejoining members.” It also states that you can “remain on this plan until you change plans or cancel your account.” Earlier this year, the streamer tested its password-sharing crackdown in Canada before rolling it out to the US, raising the question of whether Netflix will get rid of the basic plan here in the US too.
As pointed out by TechCrunch, Netflix already hides the basic plan when you try signing up for a new account with the service. Instead of showing the basic plan alongside its three other tiers, you have to click the See All Plans option for it to appear. The basic tier similarly costs $9.99 in the US and doesn’t support Netflix’s new account-sharing rule, which asks you to pay an extra $7.99 per month to let someone outside your household access your account.