Netflix just axed its basic ad-free plan in the US and UK::Netflix no longer offers its basic ad-free plan in the US and UK to new subscribers, which costs $9.99 / month or £6.99 / month in either country.

    • rtxn@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      When your cow can no longer produce enough milk to sustain an infinite growth, you just need to squeeze harder.

    • brcl@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      But the reality is that Netflix’s decision has turned into a good business decision. People who lost access to a shared account have created one. Something like 6M new accounts.

      • Briongloid@aussie.zone
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        1 year ago

        As with the market, enough people don’t know or care to vote with our wallets, pricing for near everything will only ever get worse which is why others will have to turn back to piracy.

    • Socialphilosopher@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      They are making a profit in the existing system. But they are ruining the business by acting on the urge to make more Profit.

    • BURN@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The VC money has dried up. Everyone is now being forced kicking and screaming into being profitable, and in the process are killing their platforms as a side effect.

      It’s been slowly happening since ~2019, the pandemic accelerated it and then the crazy inflation drove the nail home.

    • BURN@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The VC money has dried up. Everyone is now being forced kicking and screaming into being profitable, and in the process are killing their platforms as a side effect.

      It’s been slowly happening since ~2019, the pandemic accelerated it and then the crazy inflation drove the nail home.

  • Gnome@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I was just about to switch to that tier yesterday but the option was already gone. Guess I’ll just cancel instead.

    • ScoobyDoo27@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I never thought I’d go back to pirating but alas I have, these companies can’t ever have enough.

      • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Blackouts on sports streaming mean I never stopped. Field and players covered in ads, commercials nonstop, AND after taking my money I can’t even watch the team I want?

        Fuck right off, I’ll pay for a VPN instead.

      • provomeister@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        It always has been a service problem. If you’re trying to make it harder to access the content I pay for, I’ll go right back to sailing the high seas. They must squeeze every penny out of their customers.

        • Greenskye@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Until TV is setup the same way Spotify/YouTube music/apple music is where you just pick one you like and listen to the same music the other platforms have, they’ll continue to have pirating problems.

          I currently pay more per month for the various components needed for highly effective pirating than I would for cable and that’s purely because it offers a better experience. I can’t buy a plex-like experience anywhere for any price legally.

          Fix that and I’ll go legit just like I did for music.

  • OberonSwanson
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    1 year ago

    Haven’t watched Netflix in months, guess this is the push needed so I can cancel and save $20 a month.

    • sci@feddit.nl
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      1 year ago

      they’re removing cheap plans so i guess it’s less confusing now

    • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Not, cheap with ads. Ad free bad quality, ad free good quality, ad free better quality.

      Not complicated

        • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          My sister in law does the ad supported plans, she just got out of college and still gets paid shit so she does the cheap plans. She’s not capable of sailing correctly

          • SamsungAppleOnePlus@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            I mean it’s fair. I prefer sailing but I’m not good at it, or just keeping up with different sites and whatnot.

            I end up finding alternative methods, like I pay less than $2 a month for YouTube Premium right now, just subscribe to Premium on an Argentina VPN.

        • dirtbiker509@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          That’s what I never understood about cable tv! Never once have I paid for a service that forces me to watch ads. I would never pay for that!

          • SamsungAppleOnePlus@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            At least Netflix is mostly content with occasional ads. Cable TV is mostly ads with the occasional piece of content lol

            • yata
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              1 year ago

              Just give it time. As soon as people allow them to pull this shit, they will start pushing the envelope for all its worth.

  • nandeEbisu@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m at the point where I’m just going to cancel and restart my subscription whenever something I want to watch is on. My parents are locked out of my acct, and they used it more than I do, so there’s no point in just me keeping it.

  • yata
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    1 year ago

    With this change, Netflix now only offers a $6.99 (£4.99) / month ad-supported tier, the $15.49 (£10.99) / month standard plan, and the $19.99 (£15.99) / month premium plan.

    Wow, that is a considerable price hike for an ad-free experience.

    • Briongloid@aussie.zone
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      1 year ago

      That was always the point of the ad-tier, which will inevitably be the price of the tier it’s replacing.

      They were always going to add adverts for no cheaper, just like my countries paid-tv, they just had to ease the ads in step by step.

  • TheGoldenGod@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I haven’t watched Netflix in a month, time to save some money and cancel. Glad they’re willing to give me that final push.

  • VoxelBase@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    They’ll now inevitably move that $6.99 ad-supported tier up to $9.99 to “replace” it.

    • hyperhopper@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      They flat out lied and said the ad tiers wouldn’t make ad-free tiers more expensive. This is just the obvious plan continuing.

      This shouldn’t be legal.

  • sorebuttfromsitting@sopuli.xyz
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    1 year ago

    i’m about to drop it at the end of the month regardless, but the lack of ads was part of the original appeal for buying it.

    right now the available plans to me are (US$)

    $7 with ads, 1080p

    The vast majority of movies and TV shows are available, but a small number aren’t due to licensing

    $10 720p

    $15.50 1080p

    $20 4k

    from the link,

    the $9.99 (£6.99) / month basic plan is no longer available “for new or rejoining members.”

    If you’re already subscribed to the basic plan, you can keep the subscription as long as you don’t cancel it or change plans. But if you were looking to downgrade your Netflix subscription to a cheaper ad-free plan, you’re out of luck. With this change, Netflix now only offers a $6.99 (£4.99) / month ad-supported tier, the $15.49 (£10.99) / month standard plan, and the $19.99 (£15.99) / month premium plan.

  • fugepe@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    Why are you losers so concerned about this. Just stop watching Netflix.