Netflix Canada is eliminating one of its plan options in Canada. While the newest Basic with Ads plan will remain, the Basic option, which was $10/mo. and the most affordable option without ads, is no longer available.
If you already have that plan, you will be able to keep it, for now, at least: Netflix spokespersons have said that the tier will be removed for existing members as well at some point “in the near future.” But anyone signing up new will either have to downgrade to the Basic with Ads plan, which is $6/mo., jump to the Standard plan, which is $16.50/mo., or opt for the Premium plan for $21/mo. For the latter two plans, extra members can be added for an additional $8/mo.
That’s a pretty big delta, but considering ads that come with Netflix Basic with Ads aren’t too terribly invasive, most people might be fine opting for that one. However, Netflix Basic with Ads does not include access to all the same content. You will get all Netflix originals, but licensing restrictions could mean that certain shows and movies that are included with the Standard or Premium plan aren’t available with Netflix Basic with Ads. (Select any show title and it will clearly state this in the description).
Bottom line: the only way to get the full Netflix experience now is to pay another $10.50/mo. over and above the Netflix Basic with Ads subscription tier, which is far less palatable than the extra $4/mo. it was to jump from Basic with Ads to the now defunct Basic plan. It’s an extra $78 per year, in fact.
If you are currently subscribed to the $10/mo. Basic Netflix plan, you may wish to reevaluate your options. While you’ll be grandfathered in for now, as at some point, Netflix will require you to shift to another plan, which means paying more, or paying less with ads and a more limited selection of content.
The news comes less than half a year after Netflix started to discuss its crackdown on password sharing, including in Canada.