Netflix Kills Cheapest Ad-Free Plan

(Image credit: Netflix)

LOS GATOS, Calif.—In a push to get more consumers to sign onto its ad-supported tier, Netflix has dropped its least expensive ad-free plan. Netflix's cheapest plan is now Standard with Ads, which costs $6.99 a month.

The basic ad-free tier, which cost $9.99 a month, has been dropped in the U.S. and the U.K. It was earlier shut down in Canada.

The change means that new subscribers must pay $15.49 a month to avoid ads.

Netflix will be announcing Q2, 2023 earnings at 6 p.m. ET, on July 19 and the company is expected to provide some insights into how consumers are embracing its Standard with Ads tier that costs $6.99 a month.

In May Netflix announced that nearly 5 million subs had signed into the ad-supported plan.

Netflix accounted for about 8.2% of all viewing on TVs in June according to Nielsen.

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.