X, formerly known as Twitter, is expanding its subscription offerings to bolster its revenue streams. The social media behemoth is rolling out two new subscription tiers.
The first one is the Premium+ tier, which is priced at $16 per month. This tier offers users the “largest reply boost” and removes ads from the For You and Following feeds. Additionally, it includes revenue-sharing opportunities and access to a suite of creator tools.
The second tier, launching today, is called “Basic” and comes at a monthly cost of $3. While it doesn’t grant users a blue checkmark, it provides fundamental features such as post editing, the ability to share longer text and videos, and a “small reply boost.”
Both of these new subscription tiers are now accessible through the web platform.
These additions join the existing X Premium tier, which replaced Twitter Blue. This Premium tier, priced at $8 per month, grants users a coveted blue checkmark, prioritized ranking in replies, the ability to create bookmark folders, post longer messages, use text formatting, choose themes, employ SMS two-factor authentication, and send encrypted direct messages, among other features.
The introduction of these new subscription tiers comes in the wake of recent reports by Bloomberg about X working on these offerings. They represent a strategic move to diversify revenue streams, especially in light of the decline in advertising income X has experienced since Elon Musk assumed control of the platform. Musk’s controversial changes led to the departure of advertisers, as several major companies withdrew their ads from the platform due to their proximity to hate speech and pro-Nazi content. According to a recent report by Reuters, the company’s U.S. ad revenue has consistently declined every month since Musk’s takeover, with a substantial 60% year-over-year decrease as of August.
Since taking the helm of the company, Musk has been actively seeking ways to generate additional revenue, including charging users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 per year for access to the social network.
