With the recent announcement that Disney+ will launch a cheaper, ad-supported tier of service by the end of 2022, rumors that Netflix may also launch ads in the not-too-distant future have mushroomed. Those rumors were only fueled by Netflix CFO Spencer Neumann, who recently spoke about the potential of ad-supported Netflix subscriptions.
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According to Neumann, Netflix currently has no plans to follow Disney+ and release an ad-supported streaming tier. However, he did say something very different from the company’s usual stance on advertising its services. He clarified that while the company doesn’t currently have any plans to launch any ads, he didn’t rule out the possibility that something like this could come up. Netflix has taken a pretty tough stance on including ads in the service in the past, so they’re even willing to consider such a thing, which is certainly a big change for the company.
Stranger Things on Netflix on mobile
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Adding ads to Netflix could be a huge win for subscribers
If Netflix does introduce ads into its service, it could be a huge win for subscribers. Netflix has raised prices significantly over the past few years, with the basic plan starting at $9.99 per month. If you want to stream content in HD, you’ll have to pay $15.49 per month for the standard plan. But any Netflix plan with ads is likely to be cheaper than the ad-free version, so you might see prices drop below $9.99 a month. A limited, ad-supported Netflix tier might even be free, like Peacock’s basic plan.
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Regardless of the price, this could be a win for those looking to save some money and don’t mind watching the occasional advert. However, new plans like this could mean the price of ad-free streaming could go up. In the age of digital streaming, many viewers are used to binge-watching without ads, and it’s unclear how many will switch to the ad-supported version.
Netflix is likely to keep a close eye on the reception of the new Disney+ plan before making some sort of decision. It looks like Netflix is staying the course, keeping ads off the service for now.
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