Netflix Is Making Its Ad Plan More Tempting – CNET [CNET]

April 20, 2023 Kourtnee Jackson technology

Two streaming upgrades will likely roll out to all Netflix ad-based plans soon.

Kourtnee covers TV streaming services and home entertainment news and reviews at CNET. She previously worked as an entertainment reporter at Showbiz Cheat Sheet where she wrote about film, television, music, celebrities, and streaming platforms.

Expertise Kourtnee is a longtime cord-cutter who’s subscribed to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Crunchyroll, Sling, Spotify and more. As a real-life user of these services, she tracks the latest developments in streaming, the newest re Credentials

Though Kourtnee hasn’t won any journalism awards yet, she’s been a Netflix streaming subscriber since 2012 and knows the magic of its hidden codes.

When Netflix launched its ad-supported subscription in November, it marked a major about-face for a company that had always stood by its commercial-free policy. Basic with ads rolled out a month before Disney Plus came out with its own ad-based plan, and it’s now the cheapest subscription tier available on Netflix. The plan costs $7 a month for a single stream and HD video quality, but the streamer is making changes.

In a letter to shareholders Tuesday, Netflix shared that, although it’s early, it’s seeing success with its ad-supported plan. Therefore, the company is introducing a set of upgrades, including 1080p video quality (an increase from 720p) and the ability to stream on two devices simultaneously. The changes will go into effect in 12 regions, with subscribers in Spain and Canada seeing the upgrades Tuesday.

Netflix’s ad-supported subscription costs less than rivals HBO Max ($10 with ads) and Disney Plus ($8 with ads), and the company says that the new plan contributed to subscriber growth in the first quarter of 2023. The streaming giant aims to attract more customers with the addition of new features and a low price. Netflix has not said whether there are plans to change the price of its ad-based subscription or whether its ad-free basic plan will get an increase in concurrent streams.

Below is a look at its current subscription offerings in the US.

Netflix Subscription Plans

	Basic with ads	Basic no ads	Standard	Premium
Monthly price	$7	$10	$15.50	$20
Number of screens you can watch at the same time	1	1	2	4
Number of phones or tablets you can have downloads on	0	1	2	4
HD available	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ultra HD available	No	No	No	Yes

In addition to upgrading its ad-based subscription, Netflix will roll out its password-sharing fees in the US this summer in an effort to increase its revenue.