Netflix to discontinue its free plan in Kenya
Streaming platform Netflix announced on Monday that it will end its free service in Kenya next month after two years.
“Hi, Netflix member. We’re writing to let you know about an upcoming change to your membership. On November 1st, 2023, the Free plan will no longer be available, and your membership will end,” Netflix announced.
Netflix first provided the free package in Kenya in September 2021.
The free mobile plan streamed about one-quarter of its TV shows and movies in Kenya, a strategy they aimed at sparking growth in a key African market.
The free plan was available on Android mobile phones and did not have ads. It featured Netflix movies and TV shows such as dramas Money Heist and Bridgerton and African series Blood & Water, plus some of the programming the company licenses from others.
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Those who want to continue using Netflix will have to register for the various paid plans that the streamer has.
The change is being made as Netflix looks for ways to raise its revenue and subscriber numbers.
In July, Netflix started requesting users in Kenya to verify if they are living in the same house as the account’s owner as it expanded its crackdown on users sharing passwords with people beyond their immediate family.
The service said the TV would recognize if the user was connected to the same internet network as the registered account and that users could verify through a code sent via email.
In a financial report in mid-July, Netflix said its password-sharing crackdown is working. In its second-quarter earnings report, the streamer says it saw the addition of 5.9 million subscribers globally, with the U.S. and Canada making up 1.17 million new members from April to June.