Sky has quietly downgraded one of its popular TV packages in a move that could frustrate customers. The company bundles Netflix for free with new Sky Stream, Sky Glass and Sky Q contracts so you can watch Sky and Netflix in the same place, and have Sky pick up the Netflix bill for you.
These Sky Ultimate TV packages used to come with Netflix Basic, which offered Netflix at 720p resolution but crucially with no ads, so Sky subscribers could enjoy Netflix shows and movies without interruption from pesky adverts. But a change has been made, and from 12 December 2023, Sky’s TV bundles come with Netflix Standard with Ads for new customers.
The change has come not long after Netflix changed its various subscription tiers and their pricing, which has seen the popular Basic tier scrapped altogether.
“Our packages with Netflix enable customers to access both Sky and Netflix in one subscription, providing an easier way to watch content at better value,” a Sky spokesperson told Express.co.uk. “To reflect Netflix’s new tiers, Netflix Standard with Ads will now be the default package for Ultimate TV on Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream – this will not impact existing customers who already have our Ultimate TV packs combining Sky and Netflix.”
If you are a Sky Ultimate subscriber who currently gets Netflix Basic bundled with your package, you’ll continue to get that version without ads unless you upgrade or downgrade your Netflix plan with Sky.
It looks as though Sky doesn’t fancy picking up the bill for the new, higher priced Netflix Standard, lumping new customers – and potentially some existing ones – with Netflix Standard with Ads.
One silver lining is that this ad-supported version of Netflix runs at 1080p, a higher resolution than the now-discontinued Netflix Basic. Standard with Ads also lets you watch Netflix on multiple devices simultaneously, unlike Basic.
You can opt to upgrade your Netflix subscription with Sky to Netflix Standard for £6 per month, which has gone up from £4, or to Netflix Premium for £11 per month, up from £8. This is on top of your Sky Ultimate add-on payment.
If you’d rather not subscribe to Sky to get Netflix, then as a new Netflix customer you can no longer sign up for the Basic tier, which has been scrapped, leaving you to choose from the £4.99 Netflix Standard with Ads, or hop up to at £10.99 for Netflix Standard, which doesn’t show you ads. Netflix Premium is £17.99 per month.
Netflix Basic is still available at £7.99, but only if you signed up to it before it was scrapped and have continued to pay for it. Netflix does not offer an annual subscription fee.
