While we live in an era of binge-watching Netflix series all night long, there might be some bad news for Netflix subscribers in Canada. If a user has an active subscription to the “basic” plan, they are advised to hold on to it since Netflix might discontinue the plan soon.
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Over the weekend, Canadian Netflix users and local Canadian media noted that they were no longer able to subscribe to the streaming service’s cheapest ad-free plan. Instead, Netflix only provided access to its “standard with ads” plan, which costs $6.99 (around Rs. 575) per month in the U.S., or its more pricey standard membership, which costs $15.49 (around Rs. 1,270) per month.
It is advised that those subscribers who still have access to the basic package keep it. Netflix’s website states that, as of right now, it won’t drive Canadian members away from its basic plan. If those individuals don’t cancel the plan, they can keep it. However, if a user decides to discontinue the basic plan, they will no longer have the choice to resubscribe to it.
As of now, it seems that only Canadian Netflix subscribers will be affected by the withdrawal of the basic package. However, according to Gizmodo, modifications Netflix makes that are country-specific frequently indicate that it is in the testing stage for a future larger rollout. Prior to implementing the policy globally, the company piloted its crackdown on password sharing in places like South America.
Despite the fact that some of these Netflix decisions have been contentious, they seem to be profitable for the business. According to a research published earlier this month, Netflix saw the highest increase in subscriptions on the days when it first forbade users from disclosing their passwords for Netflix accounts.
Nevertheless, one should stick with the basic Netflix subscription if they don’t want to spend more than $10 (around Rs. 820) per month, don’t want to watch any advertising, and only require their account to work on one screen at a time. It could not be around for very long, even if one decides to live outside of Canada. Netflix has started sending emails to American consumers, warning them that the era of password sharing is coming to an end. Though technically still possible, sharing your account with someone outside of your home is no longer free.
Previously, Netflix cracked down on password sharing. Netflix started sending emails to American users in May, warning them that the era of password sharing is coming to an end. Though technically still possible, sharing an account with someone outside of one’s home is no longer free. If a user wants to share a Netflix account with someone outside of their home, they will have to pay an extra $7.99 (around Rs. 655) per month for an extra member slot, according to a sample email that was posted on Netflix’s blog post.
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A Bloomberg report suggests that 100 million homes worldwide utilise the service without having to pay. Before launching the programme in additional nations, such as Spain and Australia, Netflix experimented with measures to restrict the sharing of passwords in Latin America.