• Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • LAD Originals

U OK M8?
Free To Be
Extinct
Citizen Reef

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Not now
OK
Advert
Advert
Advert

Netflix confirms adverts are now coming to streaming service

Joe Harker

Published 
| Last updated 

Netflix confirms adverts are now coming to streaming service

Netflix has confirmed the date when adverts are coming to its platform, and how much it'll set you back.

It's been a tough old year for one of the biggest names in streaming services as its subscriber growth came to a screeching halt and even reversed a few months ago.

Over one period of time when it'd been expecting to pick up around 2.5 million subscribers, the streaming giant instead ended up losing 200,000.

Loading…

Advert

The company admitted its 'revenue growth has slowed considerably', and in response to its problems the talk about bringing in a subscription tier packed with adverts started to ramp up.

It makes sense, Netflix gets the money from advertisers who want to tap into its millions of subscribers, while the viewers are still forking over money every month to watch Netflix.

Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings admitted back in April that plans for a subscription tier with adverts were being worked on, and that it could be launched as early as the end of 2022.

And it turns out he was right.

Advert
If you want a cheaper Netflix subscription you'll have to accept adverts. Credit: Louisa Svensson/Alamy Stock Photo
If you want a cheaper Netflix subscription you'll have to accept adverts. Credit: Louisa Svensson/Alamy Stock Photo

Right now Netflix's cheapest available package will set you back £6.99 and that gets you the ability to watch the streaming service on one screen at a time while being able to download it to one phone or tablet.

For £10.99 you can double up on that capacity and watch films and TV in high definition, but for that cost it's on the pricier end of the streaming service scale.

However, from 3 November onwards UK viewers will be able to knock their subscription price down to £4.99 with Netflix's 'basic with ads' package.

Advert

One big drawback of this cheapest level of subscription is that some films and shows won't be available to watch thanks to licensing restrictions.

Netflix said a 'limited' number of shows and films would be off the table for 'basic with ads' customers, though insisted it was 'working on' hammering out an agreement which would make them watchable again.

Netflix boss Reed Hastings first announced the shift to ads in April. Credit: Kristoffer Tripplaar/Alamy Stock Photo
Netflix boss Reed Hastings first announced the shift to ads in April. Credit: Kristoffer Tripplaar/Alamy Stock Photo

There are an estimated 13.8 million subscribers to Netflix in the UK and streaming bosses aren't worried if many of them hop from the most popular £10.99 option down to £4.99, as the money they get from ads will balance it out.

Advert

They also reckon this cheaper tier will help bring in more subscribers around the world, with the initial launch of the adverts package going live in 12 countries next month.

Netflix isn't the only streaming giant who has decided to offer customers the chance of a cheaper subscription with adverts.

Disney Plus is also working on putting ads into its shows by the end of the year, though it won't be getting its out before Netflix has made its launch.

Featured Image Credit: True Images /JHPhoto/Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: UK News, TV and Film, Netflix, Technology, World News, News

Joe Harker
More like this
Advert
Advert
Advert

Chosen for YouChosen for You

Entertainment

The 1975 fans feel ‘sorry for’ Matty Healy’s bandmates as he ‘subtly’ addresses recent hate mid-performance

2 hours ago

Most Read StoriesMost Read

It’s been 19 years since the greatest jump scare in history

4 hours ago