As reported by TAVI Latam some weeks ago, Netflix is implementing a new strategy consisting in the removal of its basic ad-free tier. The move widens the current price gap between the ad-supported plan and the ad-free options. One month ago, the streaming giant ceased to offer its basic plan to new subscribers in Canada while in the United States the company began to conceal its cheapest option when somebody tried to create a new account. Netflix has now decided to move forward by ceasing to offer it to new customers not only in the United States but also in the United Kingdom.

Although the news has been officially announced by Netflix, the company has declined to disclose details about the potential expansion of the new policy to other countries.

In the three countries where the OTT has implemented the new strategy so far, the low-cost ad-supported pack has been available since November 2022. The new pricing results in users having to pay more if they don’t want to watch ads, while those not willing to pay more will have no choice but to watch ads. The other markets where the ad-supported tier is offered are Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Australia, South Korea, Spain, France, Italy and Japan.

The basic ad-free plan, which is still active in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom for current users, offers a resolution of 720p and allows only one device at a time. As far as the other two ad-free options are concerned, the Standard tier has a resolution of 1080p and offers the possibility of using two devices at a time and the Premium tier has a resolution of 4K HDR and makes it possible to use four devices simultaneously. Finally, it is worth adding that the ad-supported plan does not allow access to the whole catalog (approximately 95%), offers a resolution of 1080p, permits the use of two devices at a time and does not allow downloading of content.