There are indications that Netflix is planning to do away with its cheaper Basic plan. It would be replaced by the so-called “Basic with Ads”. It’s even cheaper, but it does show you the occasional commercial between programs.
Netflix currently has in Belgium three subscription formulas. You can choose Basic (8.99 euros per month), Standard (13.49 euros per month) or Premium (17.99 euros per month).
Basic with ads
Furthermore, since November 3, 2022, there is also a cheaper formula called ‘Basic with ads‘ which costs about $6.99 (about 6.5 euros). That new subscription is currently only available in twelve countries. These are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and South Korea. The intention is to expand it to more countries later, although it is not yet known when that will happen. With “Basic with Ads” you get the picture quality of the normal Basic subscription (720p/HD), but you can see about 4-5 minutes of advertising per hour. In addition, there are also provisionals some series not available due to licensing issues.
It is in those twelve countries that can already opt for “Basic with Ads” that users have noticed something surprising. The Brazilian website Technoblog points out that the option for the regular Basic subscription is more visible if you want to choose a subscription with Netflix. Only if you click on “View all subscriptions” will this choice be available.
Is Basic disappearing?
It’s currently unclear why Netflix hid the regular Basic on its website. The streaming service may want to push users to the “Basic with Ads” option or a more expensive subscription. It was recently leaked that the interest in the subscription with advertising currently below expectations.
However, there’s also the possibility that Netflix plans to make the Basic option disappear altogether in the future. However, this will only happen after “Basic with Ads” has been rolled out in all countries where Netflix is available.
