Press Release Netflix launching ad-supported tier in U.S. on Nov 3 for $6.99 (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Netflix launching ad-supported tier in U.S. on Nov 3 for $6.99

Not all shows and movies will be available on the ad tier at launch.

www.axios.com

 

[Malcolm R]

• Netflix's new president of advertising Jeremi Gorman said the company is eyeing a "very light ad load with no more than four to five minutes of ads per hour."

I'm not sure I consider 4-5 minutes per hour as "very light".

 

[John*Wells]

Me either

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I'm not sure I consider 4-5 minutes per hour as "very light".

It is within the context of ad supported linear TV (broadcast and cable) which routinely have 19-22 minutes per hour, but I fully agree that it’s more than I’m willing to sit through.

 

[DaveF]

I’ve heard that ad-supported streaming is equally or more profitable than subscription per se.

My worry is this is true and the ultimate future of streaming goes ‘round the horn to cable TV and paying too much for too many commercials.

 

[Worth]

The next innovation will be to only have programming available at specific times.

 

[DaveF]

Not all shows and 720p

 

[JohnRice]

So… it’s actually only a savings of $3/month?

 

[fdabbott]

I’ve heard that ad-supported streaming is equally or more profitable than subscription per se.

My worry is this is true and the ultimate future of streaming goes ‘round the horn to cable TV and paying too much for too many commercials.

You guys were warned years ago that moving to a streaming service was a way for the studios to control what you watch and what was available to you. Have you noticed what has happened to the Star Trek films? They have disappeared from all the services. So much for getting rid of DVDs and Blu-rays because you were too lazy to get off your sofa and put a disc in the player.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

You guys were warned years ago that moving to a streaming service was a way for the studios to control what you watch and what was available to you. Have you noticed what has happened to the Star Trek films? They have disappeared from all the services. So much for getting rid of DVDs and Blu-rays because you were too lazy to get off your sofa and put a disc in the player.

All the Trek films are available for purchase via streaming storefronts, such as iTunes, Vudu, etc. I have them all in my iTunes library, and spent a lot less money than the discs cost.

And there are a lot of other reasons to use streaming other than being too lazy to get off the sofa to put a disc in the player. Those reasons have been discussed ad nauseum here in the past, so I will not list them again in response to your rather insulting comment.

 

[JohnRice]

…plus… they’re all still available on disc.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

You guys were warned years ago that moving to a streaming service was a way for the studios to control what you watch and what was available to you. Have you noticed what has happened to the Star Trek films? They have disappeared from all the services. So much for getting rid of DVDs and Blu-rays because you were too lazy to get off your sofa and put a disc in the player.

That's just plainly very lousy FUD. Nobody's stopping you from watching or adding to your disc collection... nor mine nor anyone else's while we also get to enjoy certain benefits of streaming as we see fit. The studios and 3rd parties combined have still been churning out discs faster than most of us can buy them -- and I say that as one who just ordered over 80(!) this past week too.

Enjoy what you choose and have (and maybe actually learn more of the truth before you speak), and let others enjoy what they choose and have as well. No need to make such asinine FUD post to say "I told you so" when it's not even remotely so at all, LOL...

_Man_

 

[DaveF]

You guys were warned years ago that moving to a streaming service was a way for the studios to control what you watch and what was available to you. Have you noticed what has happened to the Star Trek films? They have disappeared from all the services. So much for getting rid of DVDs and Blu-rays because you were too lazy to get off your sofa and put a disc in the player.

I’ll watch Star Trek (2009) with Netflix or Paramount+ subscription.

Or, I’ll watch old trek movies by digital rental or digital purchase.

Or I’ll wait til it’s back on Paramount+ when they’ve got their streaming rights and contracts sorted.

Or…I’ll just watch something else. There’s vast content, far more than I have time for. <shrug>

 

[aPhil]

How about ad-supported Netflix with no fee ?
Seems like there use to be something like that in the old days of television.
Seems like both paying and having ads is not something some of us want to do.

 

[JohnRice]

I swear.

There is STILL ad-supported TV with no fee. I've always had that using an antenna. AND it has something like 80 channels in my area, in pristine digital audio and video.

No, I don't recall there ever being free NetFlix with ads.

If you want Netflix without ads, you can get it. The existence of a new ad supported option at a lower cost doesn't erase the existence of ad-free NetFlix for a higher price.

For instance, Hulu has always been available in ad-free, as well as ad supported at a lower cost. I prefer to pay $5 (or whatever it is) more a month for ad free, so that's what I subscribe to. It makes absolutely no sense to get upset about an ad supported option also being available at a lower cost. Subscribe to the option you want.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I'm not sure I consider 4-5 minutes per hour as "very light".

Try watching anything on Roku Channel or FreeVee. 5-6 commercial breaks per hour, each break around 2 minutes.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

How about ad-supported Netflix with no fee ?
Seems like there use to be something like that in the old days of television.
Seems like both paying and having ads is not something some of us want to do.

The old days of TV came w/ waaaay too much ad time though.

I've been trying Hulu's ad-supported tier and find it acceptable enough in many instances, but there are definitely some odd(?) cases w/ unexpectedly, very annoyingly high amount of ad interruptions while being pleasantly surprised w/ the few feature-length movies I've watched running completely uninterrupted w/ only a couple minutes of ads preceding each -- not sure if that's actually standard for feature-length movies on Hulu.

_Man_

 

[John Dirk]

How about ad-supported Netflix with no fee ?
Seems like there use to be something like that in the old days of television.
Seems like both paying and having ads is not something some of us want to do.

My sentiments, exactly. I get that there will be fewer ads than is typical but, when I want to deal with this sort of platform I go to Pluto TV.

For the moment I'm still content to pay for Netflix but this latest move of introducing an ad-supported (well, subsidized) tier still fails to address Netflix's real problems and is therefore likely just their latest act of desperation as opposed to their last.