Mike Wuerthele
Netflix's ad-supported tier is now available for $6.99 a month, but it doesn't work at all on the Apple TV streaming device.
While it's clear that the app needs to be updated for the tier to function on Apple TV, it's not clear why the company decided to not make this available on Apple TV hardware for launch day. It is available on Chromecast, consoles, iOS, Amazon Fire, and natively on a wide array of smart televisions.
"Basic with ads plan support on tvOS is not available at launch but coming soon," Variety was told.
Users on the $6.99 Basic With Ads tier periodically see commercials in the middle of programming, with four to five minutes per streaming hour occupied with ads.
Not all content will be interrupted by commercials. Major releases coming to Netflix, such as "Knives Out 2," will have a preroll of spots but will play the movie without further interruptions.
"We'll try to preserve that sort of cinematic model there," said Netflix COO and product head Greg Peters. Film that have "been on the service for a while" will have a combination of pre-roll and mid-roll ads, but with "less frequent breaks."
Subscribers of the ad-supported tier will have access to almost the entire Netflix catalog, with exceptions for some content due to licensing restrictions. Up to 10% of content will be absent on a rotating basis due to deals between Netflix and studios.
Basic with Ads will be limited to 720p streaming, with only one stream allowed per account, and no downloading of content.
The $6.99-and-ads tier could be helpful for Netflix to attract more viewers in a heavily-saturated market, and one that will get tougher to consume at the value end of the spectrum. Disney is also working on its own ad-supported service that will cost a dollar more.
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
Andrew O'Hara
William Gallagher
5 Comments
Basic with ads plan -- doesn't include all Netflix content (will probably get worse over time), 720p streaming, ads, and doesn't work Apple TV hardware. What a great deal! /s
720p looks fine on a set with decent upconversion. The matter of some content not being available is a contractual matter. Netflix itself would rather not limit the content offered and is likely to work towards adding as much as it can. As for the Apple TV app not being compatible at launch, Netflix has got to be the easiest service to access in a good many ways. Gaming consoles, Smart TVs, bluray players, and on and on feature a Netflix app. Surely most of us can find one that will work amongst all our toys.
For anyone who doesn’t need more than a single feed, the ad-supported app looks like a really good deal, especially here in Canada where it will be only $5.99 a month.
Mid-roll ads are a crime against nature. At least w/ cable TV you can change the channel, but w/ streamers they make the ads unskippable and you can't do anything but sit there while being held hostage. The difference in price will never be worth it to me, it's like stabbing a fork into my eyes. Why would I do that?
I wonder why this doesn't work on Apple TV hardware at present. I suppose it could be something on Apple's end, but it could just as easily be a technical issue on Netflix's end.
Personally, I am hoping that Netflix's plan to add ads (particularly during the movie) is a gigantic flop, because I don't want any other service even considering this idea. Netflix is expensive (but not the priciest) for 4K or HD quality, and the point of us paying for these services is that they have things cable doesn't offer, like NO ADS. That's what our subscription is paying for -- our ability to watch quality stuff we like without disruption.
This crappy sub-HD offering destroys the entire point of watching a streaming service: the deal was that for a fee, we get to watch stuff on-demand, ad-free and uninterrupted.
The company is already going further, planning a big crackdown on password sharing. What's next, Netflix -- a per-device surcharge? Demanding that any change that falls out of our pockets while watching belongs to you?
This just seems like the sad, desperate final act of the former king of streaming, kind of like how Yahoo let Google eat their lunch on search.
making me pay for ads was the reason I cut the cord in the first place...