YouTube discontinues its cheaper ad-free plan in Europe
YouTube, the world’s largest video-sharing platform, has decided to end its Premium Lite subscription plan, which offered ad-free viewing for a lower price than its full Premium tier. The plan, which was launched in 2021 as a pilot in select European countries, will no longer be available after October 25th, 2023, according to an email sent by YouTube to its customers
Premium Lite was YouTube’s attempt to attract more users to its paid subscription service, which also includes features such as offline downloads, background playback, and access to YouTube Music and YouTube Originals. Premium Lite cost €6.99 per month, compared to €11.99 per month for the full Premium plan, and only removed ads from all YouTube apps and formats.
However, the plan apparently did not meet YouTube’s expectations, as the company said it was discontinuing it to “incorporate feedback from our users, creators and partners”. YouTube did not specify what kind of feedback it received or how many users subscribed to Premium Lite.
YouTube said it will offer a one-month free trial of YouTube Premium to existing Premium Lite subscribers, regardless of whether they have had a trial before. To redeem the offer, users will have to cancel their Premium Lite subscription or wait for it to be canceled automatically.
YouTube’s move comes as the platform faces increasing competition from other video-streaming services, such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video, which also offer ad-free viewing and original content. YouTube also faces regulatory pressure from some European countries, such as Germany and France, which have imposed stricter rules on online platforms regarding content moderation, data protection, and taxation.
YouTube said it will continue to work on different versions of Premium Lite as it incorporates feedback from its stakeholders. It is unclear whether the company will launch a similar or different plan in the future or in other regions.