Netflix recently removed their long-advertised and promoted feature of password sharing to the chagrin of many users. Now, if they follow their previous precedent, they are set to remove the Basic plan from the plan choices for their customers.
Canada was one of the first countries in the world where Netflix removed password sharing and now Netflix are looking to raise prices in the market by removing the Basic plan. Confirmed by a Netflix spokesperson and on its help page new users will not be able to sign up to the Basic plan and the plan itself will only continue for those already signed onto it.
So what does this mean for Australia? It means that where Canada goes the rest of the world usually follows. In Australia, the Basic plan is $10.99 and only offers 720p streaming (welcome to 1995 Netflix) so it’s sub-par quality compared to virtually all other media streaming options.
Although Canada seems to be just the test-bed for these price increases you can be sure that Netflix are certainly heading that way Downunder with the Basic plan only visible on the sign-up page after taking an extra, semi-hidden step to click the see all plans button.
Netflix has shareholders to answer to and it seems that they are doing the best they can to increase dividends and outcomes for them — they have a fiduciary duty to do just that as a publicly traded company — so we can’t really blame them for trying.
Personally, I think the Basic plan needs to roll over and die anyway — 720p? In 2023? If you want a cheaper plan, you can always sign up for the Standard ad-supported plan for just $6.99 where you will get 1080p streaming. The cheapest way to get an ad-free experience though is going to be the Standard $16.99 plan. If you want 4K streaming, you have to stump up to their largest and most expensive plan at $22.99 per month.
These ad-free options could be tough for many households given the cost-of-living stresses we are all experiencing these days. Will it affect Netflix’s bottom line? Unlikely given they have much smarter economists than I and surely would not be making this choice without careful consideration.
Of course, you can always vote with your wallet and go elsewhere. We are inundated with choices for streaming media these days with most having their own exclusives and positives and negatives.
