Netflix is getting rid of one of its subscription

The streaming titan that has become a staple in our homes is pulling the plug on a beloved subscription tier. Really, it only makes sense that we should now be over three decades into the obituary of the video rental store by now. The world of picking up movies to watch at home has vastly changed—mostly for the better, I’d argue—since my time as a part-time employee at the (now long-defunct) Amazon.com video rental store in 2004. We switched to DVD then, but I couldn’t help but think of the robot movie scenes from “2001: A Space Odyssey” and how ahead of its time that flick was; and I’m not talking about the visual effects.

In a cautionary note on its website, Netflix stated, “The Basic plan is no longer available for new or rejoining members. If you are currently on the Basic plan, you can remain on this plan until your plan is changed or your account is cancelled.” Existing Basic plan subscribers will indeed have a little more time to transition to another plan, but the option to sign up for the £6.99/month ad-free Basic plan disappears on July 31. After that, the Basic plan will become the with-ads Standard plan, and all new Basic plan subscribers will have to sign up for this ad-obsessed version of the service.

At CES 2024, held in Las Vegas, Netflix’s advertising president, Amy Reinhard, spoke about the engagement of subscribers with the company’s new advertising-supported subscription model. “We’re very fortunate to take a long-term perspective on this,” she said. “Scaling our business is absolutely our biggest priority right now, but we want to make sure we’re doing that in a meaningful way for the members.” So, the cherished £6.99 plan is gone, and now the question arises: Is it better to upgrade for an ad-free Netflix experience, or is it alright to save a few pounds to embrace an ad-supported experience? Either way, with Netflix’s presence in our lives seemingly assured, the decision we make will be a “meaningful” one.

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