Netflix mulls introducing free ad-supported tier. The circle is complete

the ads are minimally intrusive — that is, highly relevant and engaging — they should not detract from the overall user experience

In what universe do ads, no matter how "relevant and engaging", ever not detract from the overall experience?

I just wish they could bundle all the subscriptions into packages or bundles and I could watch the shows at pre-determined times.

Tech bros reinvent broadcast TV.

There's no better ad for piracy than the greed of corporations. Don't let ads shit in your head. They disrespect you, you disrespect them.

This is step 86 in the plan. Step 87 is make people pay for the previously free service

"The enshittifucation will continue until profits improve." --CEOs of Publicly Traded Companies

I'll take "Organizations that made it to the top by doing something different, only to fall under leadership that doesn't understand what made them successful and descend into ruins" for 200, Alex.

Seriously, Jeopardy team - this is a rich category:

• Netflix advertisements.
• Zoom mandates staff return to offices.
• Microsoft forgets what the "P" in "PC" stands for.
• Toys R Us implements a shitty holiday gift returns policy.
• Sears decides to sacrifice reputation for quarterly stock price gains.
• Walgreens decides bottom-of-the-barrel incompetent pharmacists can uphold their "get it all done in one visit" secret sauce.
• Radio Shack decides that once-every-two-years cellphone contract sales are the future for holding passionate electronics hobbyists' loyalty.

It's almost like all these CEOs and MBAs are just shooting in the dark because of the $$$ in their eyes, but the fact remains that the market is no longer responding favorably to their absolute need for year-over-year growth.

"Free ad-supported" makes you no different than a hundred other garbage-tier streaming services.

If they aren't going to charge for access otherwise then I don't think being ad supported is such a bad thing. Much more honest than subscription pricing and ads in my opinion.

Streaming is just cable

They will still be selling user data whether you opt for the ad supported tier or not, so get used to that.

The advertising ouroboros continues to devour itself

My Plex share doesn't care lol

The way the industry is pulling the screws tighter and tighter is just ugly to watch, and it's hard not to be caught out.

I won't support any streaming service that has a sub+ad tier. Ads with no sub or sub no ads, anything else is incredibly greedy and the same as cable TV.

Enshittification? ✔️

Life is stupid. What are we even DOING here???

Do it!
Ill cut subscription to free tier let adblockers do the rest. Profit.

Doesn't this already exist or did I imagine it?

I thought they introduced it years ago

Edit: oh I read again, this time it's free

Great for piracy!

Piracy it is then...

When my paid service started giving me ads I stopped watching it. I've been paying them since before streaming and in the past couple years stopped paying because T-Mobile started paying. When T-Mobile quits paying we'll close the account.

still gonna stick to torrents for my media netflix cause i wanna actually have control of them

Obviously the majority of content is not going to be available. It will essentially b a Tubi clone or what Netflix streaming was when they first launched it.

Ads provide a much needed break so I can check my phone without missing anything.

/s

I look forward to when someone releases a box to record the screen or shows you want to watch on Netflix just in case the rights gets pulled before you get the chance to watch it. Added benefit is they can make it skip ads too. Gotta have a catchy name... like... NeVO for Netflix Video On(demand)

Rebrand to CableFlix

They already have an ad tier (tmobile bundles it into some of their plans). Is this going to be an even more ad tier?

They want to squeeze out that extra bit of profit and get the users that never subscribed on there so they can boast about improved numbers.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Netflix, once a pioneer of ad-free viewing that offered a break from traditional TV norms, is now contemplating launching free ad-supported versions of its service in markets like Europe and Asia, Bloomberg reported.

Greg Peters, Netflix’s co-CEO, recently told The Verge that they view ad sales as “a new muscle” for the streaming giant to “build” and then apparently flex.

According to a recent Madison and Wall survey, cited by Bloomberg, Netflix currently ranks around ninth or tenth in the online video advertising space, all while lagging far behind not only YouTube, but also Disney and Paramount, and struggling to catch up with Amazon and Roku.

Maxine Gurevich of Horizon Media argued that as long as people find the service valuable and the ads are minimally intrusive — that is, highly relevant and engaging — they should not detract from the overall user experience.

For example, Netflix’s intention to show ads during the NFL’s Christmas games to all subscribers, including those in the ad-free tier, is a tad disconcerting.

Only time will tell what happens with Netflix’s subscription tiers, and whether we’ll see moderately priced ad-supported options alongside premium ad-free versions that will be generally out of reach for regular consumers.

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Time to bring back Tivo