Your Netflix binge could soon be broken up with commercials, as reports reveal that Netflix is planning to launch an ad-supported tier as soon as 1 November. The Wall Street Journal previously reported the November launch date, which was then confirmed by Variety.
Netflix has famously been ad-free throughout its history, but over the summer the streaming giant announced that was planning to provide a cheaper, ad-supported option. The initial thought was that it would arrive in early 2023, so a November launch means Netflix is ramping up its plans and then some. The ad-supported tier is expected to be rolled out first to the US, UK, Canada, France and Germany.
There's no price info yet but Variety says that the streamer is considering something in the range of $7-$9 per month. The expectation is that subscribers will get around four minutes of ads per hour when watching TV series — movies will have pre-roll ads (you'll have to sit through a bank of ads before you settle down to The Gray Man). It is also expected that viewers won't see the same ad more than once per hour and no more than three times per day.
Netflix’s current basic streaming subscription costs range from $9.99 to $19.99 in the US and £6.99 to £15.99 in the UK. Though it is still the largest streaming service in the world, Netflix has seen drops in its subscription numbers over the last year, which is likely influencing this push to offer a cheaper, ad-supported option.
Most of the other big-name streaming services offer an ad-supported subscription option, including Hulu, Peacock, HBO Max and Paramount Plus. Disney Plus is also due to be launching an ad-supported option in December 2022, about a month after Netflix’s reported launch date.
It’ll be interesting to see what watching Stranger Things or Bridgerton is going to be like with commercials dumped in the middle (just like network TV we'd imagine) as well as what ads Netflix is going to have to go along with its most popular content.
While you can still stream content without being interrupted by advertising, the days of that being the cheapest or standard option are coming to an end. If you want to go commercial-free, you’ll need to pay a premium.
