Netflix is ​​canceling its Essential subscription in the United States. Soon in France ?

It’s been in the works for a few weeks and it’s now official: since this week, Netflix no longer offers the Essential offer to its new American and British subscribers. The streaming platform wants to encourage its new customers to subscribe to its subscription with advertising.

netflix

Netflix is ​​a paid subscription application and service that provides access to an online library of several thousand films, series, documentaries, shows and TV shows.

• Downloads:
  531
• Release date :
  07/18/2023
• Author :
  Netflix, Inc.
• Licence :
  Free license
• Categories:
  

  Video – Leisure

• Operating system :
  

  Android, Online Service, Windows 10/11, iOS iPhone / iPad
  

Farewell, the Essential subscription

The Essential subscription (Basic in VO) cost $9.99/month in the United States and its removal will naturally push new Netflix customers to turn to other offers: Essential with ads (Basic with ads) at $4.99/month, Standard at $15.49/month or Premium at $19.99/month. Either way, it will benefit Netflix.

Note that while the offer is no longer available to new customers, current Essential subscribers “will keep their subscription until they change their offer or delete their account”.

If it may shock, this decision seemed inevitable since the launch of the Essential subscription with advertising in November 2022, which would already bring together 5 million subscribers. With Netflix’s ultimate goal being to increase revenue per subscriber (Average Revenue Per Customer, or ARPU), the difference of just $3 per month between the ad- and ad-free offerings had become too small to be consistent.

In France, the Essential subscription with advertising is certainly cheaper (€5.99/month), but only allows 95% of the Netflix catalog and video quality at 720p. Above all, users have to bear 4-5 min of advertising per program hour. As a reminder, here is the current grid of Netflix offers in France:

• Essential with advertising: €5.99/month
• Essential: €8.99/month
• Standard: €13.49/month (add subscriber for €5.99/month)
• Premium: €17.99 per month (addition of a subscriber for €5.99/month)

After removing the offer in Canada last month, in the United States and Great Britain today, Netflix is ​​undoubtedly preparing to extend this decision to the rest of the world, therefore to France. No date has yet been announced, but Digital will keep you informed.