Netflix finally announces its cheaper subscription -- Basic with Ads
It has been a very, very long time coming, but a cheaper Netflix subscription tier, complete with ads, arrives next month.
The new ad-supported plan is called Basic with Ads, and will cost $6.99 per month when it launches in the US on November 3. Netflix says that the cheaper tier will be available in 11 other countries, and shares details of the limitations subscribers will have to put up with, including the fact that some shows and movies simply will not be available if you're not paying for a more expensive ad-free Basic, Standard or Premium plan.
There is a huge problem with Netflix's ad-supported subscription tier -- and it's not the ads
We've known for a little while that there was a cheaper subscription tier coming to Netflix. We have also been aware that the price to pay for a reduction in price is the requirement to view ads -- Netflix has teamed up with Microsoft as its advertising partner.
But the inclusion of ads is not the only downside to the cheaper tier. Netflix has now revealed that ad-supported subscriptions will not be able to access all of its video content.
Microsoft teams up with Netflix to offer cheaper, ad-supported subscriptions
Netflix has previously confirmed plans to introduce an ad-supported tier that would provide a lower cost subscription entry point. Details have been somewhat lacking, but it has just been announced that Microsoft is partnering with the streaming video service as it introduces cheaper plans.
The company has signed a deal with Netflix, with the streaming giant describing Microsoft as "our global advertising technology and sales partner".