A while back, Netflix lost a significant number of original subscribers. Since then, the company has been trying to come up with new ways to control the damage. These strategies include limiting password sharing, charging users more for sharing their accounts, and other similar tactics which encourage more people to pay. In its latest attempt to appeal to those on a limited budget, Netflix is launching an ad-supported tier for $6.99 per month. The new plan will be available next month, in November, for viewers in 12 countries.
A cheaper ad-supported Netflix tier is coming soon
In a newsroom post, Netflix today shared more details regarding the anticipated ad-supported plan. Users in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. will get access to this option. Those in the United States will get to subscribe to it starting November 3 at 9 am PT. The company states:
In short, Basic with Ads is everything people love about Netflix, at a lower price, with a few ads in-between. Starting in November, signing up will be easy — visit Netflix.com, and register with your email, date of birth, and gender to get started. Basic with Ads also represents an exciting opportunity for advertisers — the chance to reach a diverse audience, including younger viewers who increasingly don’t watch linear TV, in a premium environment with a seamless, high-resolution ads experience.
When this plan first launches, ads will last for 15 or 30 seconds. These advertisements will play before and during a Netflix viewing session. On average, viewers can expect 4 to 5 minutes of ads per each hour of content they watch. Notably, though, not the entire catalog will be accessible to Basic with Ads subscribers. Additionally, viewers will be limited to a maximum resolution of 720p, and downloads for offline viewing will be blocked. Those who can't tolerate these limitations can continue to pay for one of the existing, higher-tier plans.
Do you plan on subscribing to this ad-supported plan? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section below.
Source: Netflix
