YouTube has announced in an email to subscribers, that it is discontinuing its Premium Lite subscription option, which offered ad-free viewing for a lower price than the full-fledged Premium tier.
According to Google, it will be developing more versions of Premium Lite in line with feedback from creators and viewers.
Premium Lite was only available in select European countries, and it offered a more affordable way to remove ads from the YouTube viewing experience. The regular Premium tier costs twice as much, but it also includes YouTube Music, the ability to download videos for offline viewing, and the capability to watch videos in the background while using other apps.
The discontinuation of Premium Lite leaves users with fewer ad-free options, especially those who are on a budget. YouTube is offering current Premium Lite subscribers a month-long free trial of the regular Premium tier, but it is unclear if the company will introduce a new ad-free tier at a lower price point in the future.
The sources for this piece include an article in Engadget.