For millions around the world, subscribing to Netflix has become another expected monthly expense alongside paying the rent, mortgage and ever-increasing energy bills.
But the company has left some of its paying customers fuming after announcing a massive change that impacts a hell of a lot of subscribers.
Netflix is by far the largest streaming service in the world, with more than 270 million customers worldwide. That's roughly 70 million more than second place Amazon Prime Video, with Disney+ making up the podium in third with 153 million subs.
Advert
And you can see why it's the biggest and best out there for so many; just look at the recent word-of-mouth success that has been Baby Reindeer.
Netflix, along with the other big two, have all introduced adverts for their customers in recent years with it costing more than you already pay to get rid of them.
The introduction of ads went down like a led balloon, with countless subscribers threatening to quit for good.
Now, in the case of Netflix, certain subscribers have been left vexed once again after the media giant made an announce via email.
What has Netflix said?
Right now, there are three levels of Netflix subscriptions, starting at £4.99 a month for its standard package which comes with adverts.
There's then the standard package at £10.99, which has zero ads and involves letting someone else watch who doesn't live in your household.
Top of the list is the premium deal at £17.99. This lets you watch on four devices (as opposed to two on the previous two packages), watch in ultra HD, and download on to six devices. There's obviously no adverts, either.
But not everyone is on these three; some have legacy accounts.
And its people with those accounts that have been told their deals are being shut down?
What is the Netflix package being shut down?
Netflix emailed customers to say its basic ad-free subscription was shutting down for good in the United Kingdom and Canada.
At £7.99, it sits in the middle of the lower and middle tiers of the current subscription system - effectively letting people stay ad-free for three quid less a month than others.
Plus, Netflix made £797 million from adverts in the last year, showing how lucrative it is for the company to have people on the ad supported package.
Those on the basic ad-free subs will be automatically transferred to the lower, £4.99 deal with adverts. Netflix said it was upping the quality of footage for this package, now moving from 720p to Full HD (1080p), as a way of meeting customers in the middle.
When emailing customers, Netflix said the move to the ad-supported package will save subscribers 35% over the course of their time paying subs.
When will it be shut down?
Netflix has said you don't have long left if you're on the basic ad-free package.
In the UK and Canada, it'll be axed forever as of 4 June.
Taking to social media, some weren't too happy, as one person posted on X: "We've been quite loyal Netflix subscribers until now, going weeks or even months without watching, but still paying our subscription which we were happy to do at the old price. But we don't want to watch ads, and there is a lot of competition out there."
And another said they've already cancelled their membership, writing: "Just cancelled my Netflix subscription for the first time since I subscribed in 2012.
"I got locked into a £4.99 basic plan which never rose, until this week when they’ve decided to add adverts to my tier."
Topics: Film, Money, Netflix, TV, TV and Film, Technology, UK News, US News
Tom Earnshaw