Netflix’s ad-supported tier will include ad-free bonus episodes in 2024 (original) (raw)
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends
It has now been a full year since Netflix shook things up by introducing a tier that includes advertising, available in a dozen countries for $7 a month. Now, just a couple weeks after the company’s third-quarter earnings report, Netflix is giving some details on how the ad-supported tier has worked out.
In a blog post penned by Netflix advertising president Amy Reinhard, the company says that it now has some 15 million global monthly active users on the ad-supported tier. The Q3 letter to shareholders noted that approximately 30% of new sign-ups were for the cheaper, ad-supported tier, up 70% quarter over quarter.
“We have built an incredible foundation, focusing on areas advertisers told us matter most, all while delivering unmissable entertainment at an unbeatable value,” Reinhard wrote. “As we continue to build and adapt our service, we’re excited about the progress we’ve made.”
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Look for changes to come in the new year, too. Reinhard writes that a new “binge ad” format will actually benefit subscribers who just can’t quit, showing an ad-free episode after watching three in a row. Look for that by April.
You’ll also start to see QR codes in advertising in 2024 if you’re a U.S. subscriber.
“Our goal isn’t just to offer the same products and tools the industry has come to expect,” Reinhard continued, “although we’ve made a lot of progress on that front over the last year. It’s to build something bigger and better than what exists today.”
Netflix’s ad-supported plan launched in November 2022 and quickly proved its worth. The company noted in its first-quarter earnings release that “our ads plan already has a total [average revenue per user] greater than our standard plan.” That Standard plan costs more than twice that of the ad-supported plan at $15.50 a month, but obviously doesn’t include any advertising revenue.
Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…
Netflix does not offer free trials. That’s unfortunate news for those of us looking to test the waters with one of the world’s top streaming platforms. Fortunately, there are a couple of backdoor methods you can use to get Netflix for free.
Will Netflix ever bring back free trials? It’s hard to say, but riding the coattails of another family member’s subscription, or cashing in on an ISP promo are a few ways to stream Netflix movies and shows without forking over any dough. Let's take a crack at it, shall we?
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Don’t like giant ads on Amazon Fire TV? Then don’t buy one
Oh, no! A full-screen promotion for a service on the platform you basically got for free! Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends
There’s been a little bit of a kerfuffle of late regarding Amazon Fire TV and advertising. Not that it has ads on the home screen, mind you. That’s not exactly new. But, rather, that you’re getting pushed onto a full-screen promo when coming out of sleep mode because you’re landing right atop the featured carousel, which in turns triggers the full-screen ad. Previously, you’d have to click up into the carousel for it to expand.
Max is pulling some features from its ad-free subscription
Legacy subscribers to any sort of digital service are correct to be a bit wary whenever changes come to a platform and they’re told that they can keep their current plan. Because you know the other shoe is going to drop at some point.
And that point is soon for early subscribers to Max’s ad-free plan, which was all you could get in the early days of the now-rebranded HBO Max. Subscribers today are getting emails that point to changes in their ad-free service. It shouldn't come as a complete surprise, though, since Max originally said the original HBO Max plans and features would be good for at least six months after Max launched. And here were are six months later, with changes taking place.