In addition to the announcement that it will start streaming WWE content exclusively starting in 2026, Netflix also announced the number of subscribers until the end of Q4 2023. They now have 260.3 million paid subscribers which exceeded the original target of 256 million. Since allowing the ad-supported basic plan, subscriber numbers have surged despite predictions that it would have a negative impact after Netflix banned password sharing last year.
Also announced is that Netflix will end its cheapest ad-free Basic plan in some markets that currently offer ad-supported plans. It will be done in Canada first before also coming to the United States and the UK in Q2 2024. Because the ad-supported plan is not offered in Malaysia, local Basic plan customers do not need to worry about this development.
The streaming war at this point has been won by Netflix who still has the highest number of subscribers. Disney+ has yet to record a profit, instead causing losses to the parent company due to less interesting content. HBO and Discovery Plus also merged after causing losses to Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD). In order to generate income, WBD content has been offered to Netflix since the end of last year.