This has been a long time coming – and now Sky and EE TV are finally phasing out Netflix’s Basic plan, marking the end of low-cost, ad-free streaming for many UK viewers.
This change means many subscribers will soon face an unwelcome choice: endure adverts during their Netflix bing-watching session, pay more for an ad-free experience, or consider cancelling their subscriptions altogether.
Sky, which had already discontinued the Basic plan for new customers last December, will automatically switch its existing Basic plan subscribers to an ad-supported tier next month.
Meanwhile, EE TV has just pulled the plug on offering the Basic plan to new customers, though existing subscribers can hold onto it for a bit longer (see more details below).
Netflix Basic’s Slow Demise
Netflix’s Basic plan has long been a popular choice for UK subscribers seeking an affordable, ad-free streaming experience.
Priced at £6.99 per month (later increased to £7.99), it offered standard definition (720p) streaming on a single device at a time. This tier was particularly attractive to those on a budget who didn’t require the bells and whistles (such as 4K and up to 4 simultaneous streams) of higher-tier plans.
However, the writing was on the wall for the Basic plan when Netflix introduced its ‘Standard with Ads’ tier in November 2022.
Priced at £4.99/month, this new option offered Full HD (1080p) streaming on two devices simultaneously, albeit with advert breaks – a trade-off that appealed to many cost-conscious viewers.
The first major blow to the Basic plan came in July 2023, when Netflix discontinued it for new subscribers in the UK and the US.
Existing Basic subscribers were initially allowed to keep their plans, but by 2024, Netflix announced its intention to phase out the Basic tier entirely for existing subscribers in the UK and Canada.
Therefore, the current Netflix tiers available in the UK, are:
The Standard with Adverts Plan (£4.99/month):
- Streaming in Full HD (1080p)
- Simultaneous streaming on two devices
- Limited downloads (for offline viewing) are available
- Includes adverts
The Standard Plan (£10.99/month):
- Full HD (1080p) streaming
- No adverts
- Streaming on up to two devices at a time
The Premium Plan (£17.99/month):
- Some content available in UltraHD (4K)
- No adverts
- Streaming on up to four devices simultaneously
Things were a bit different on some of the UK’s pay-TV providers – like Sky and EE TV – where Netflix’s Basic plan lingered on. But now, that’s changing as well.
Sky’s Netflix Shakeup: From Basic to Ad-Supported
Sky has long included Netflix as part of its Ultimate TV package.
In December 2023, Sky made a significant change by discontinuing the Netflix Basic plan for new customers. Instead, Sky offered the ‘Standard with Ads’ tier as part of its packages (with customers able to upgrade to the no-ads tiers by paying extra).
Now, Sky is taking the next step by transitioning existing Basic plan subscribers to the ad-supported tier.
Beginning in September 2024, Sky customers who currently still have the ad-free Basic Netflix plan will be automatically moved to the ‘Standard with Ads’ plan.
Sky has communicated this change to its customers, emphasising the benefits of the new plan, such as improved video quality (Full HD 1080p instead of 720p) and the ability to watch on two devices simultaneously instead of one.
However, the trade-off is the introduction of “a few short ads per hour,” which has caused some disgruntled customers to vent their anger on social media.
The company has also stressed that all other aspects of customers’ Sky packages will remain unchanged, and the transition will happen automatically with no action required from subscribers.
It’s worth remembering that direct Netflix subscribers’ monthly bills were reduced when they were switched from Basic (£7.99/month) to Standard with Ads (£4.99/month).
However, Sky subscribers who are being moved to the ad-supported tier won’t experience a similar price reduction, as their overall Sky package price will remain the same.
For those who wish to maintain an ad-free Netflix experience through Sky, upgrading options are available – £6/month to upgrade to Netflix Standard, and £11/month to upgrade to Netflix Premium.
EE TV’s Netflix Transition
EE TV, formerly known as BT TV, has taken longer to ditch the Netflix Basic plan.
Until last week, EE TV was one of the last major UK TV providers still offering the Netflix Basic tier to new customers as part of its packages (that can also include Sky’s NOW and TNT Sports).
However, EE TV has now discontinued the Basic plan for new subscribers.
New customers signing up for EE TV packages that include Netflix will now receive the ‘Standard with Ads’ tier instead of the Basic plan on the “Entertainment” or “Big Entertainment” tiers, and – as before – Netflix Standard on the Full Works tier.
As with Sky, customers can then pay extra to upgrade to higher Netflix tier.
For now, existing EE TV customers who have the Netflix Basic plan are in a somewhat better position than Sky subscribers.
EE TV has said that these customers will be able to keep their Basic plans for now, with two important caveats: they can only keep the Basic tier until they renew their contract, or until late 2026 if they’re out of contract.
This gives existing EE TV customers a longer runway to adjust to the changes. However, it’s clear that the days of the Basic plan are numbered, even for loyal EE TV subscribers.
An important technical consideration for EE TV customers is the compatibility of the ad-supported Netflix tier with their set-top boxes.
Until now, Netflix’s Standard with Ads tier was not technically supported even on EE TV’s 4K Pro Box – which was the main reason the Basic tier stayed around for so long. But thanks to a recent software update, the 4K Pro Box now supports Netflix’s Standard with Ads tier.
However, the ‘Standard with Ads’ tier is only supported on EE TV’s 4K Pro boxes (and their Mini versions), or the 4K Apple TV box.
To address this, EE TV has said that customers with older boxes who sign up for a plan that includes Netflix with ads, will receive a free upgrade to a compatible box.
What About Virgin Media TV?
Virgin Media also lets its subscribers add Netflix to their TV bundle, but the Basic option was removed in July 2023.
In bundles that already include Netflix, the company offers the Standard Netflix tier (without adverts), and users are able to upgrade to Premium at an extra cost.
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