Not All Netflix Content Will Be Available With New Ad-Supported Subscription
Having your programming interrupted by commercials won't be the only disadvantage to Netflix's upcoming ad-supported plan. While the long-in-the-works plan will save subscribers a few bucks each month, Netflix Basic With Ads, set to launch in the U.S. on Thursday, Nov. 3, will come with a smaller content catalog, with some titles set to be unavailable to stream under the new tier.
According to Variety, Netflix chief operating officer Greg Peters previously told reporters that under ad-supported tier, some movies and TV shows will not be available. This is due to licensing restrictions that keep them from being shown with commercials. However, Netflix is looking to decrease the number of titles that will be unavailable for streaming as it grows the new subscription plan. Peters told reporters that a "limited number of movies and TV shows won't be available due to licensing restrictions, and we're going to be working on reducing that over time." It is unclear what, if any, titles will be unavailable to U.S. subscribers to the Netflix Basic With Ads plan at launch.
A limited scope of viewing options won't be the only limitation of the new subscription tier. While the plan is set to offer many of the same features as the ad-free services, video quality will only be up to 720p/HD. Subscribers will also not be allowed to download titles. Most notable, however, will be the ads that play during and throughout viewing. There will be approximately four to five minutes of commercials per hour, similar to the ad-supported tiers of Peacock and Disney+, with Netflix revealing that at launch, the ads will be either 15 or 30 seconds long and will play before and during TV shows and films. However, viewers will not experience ad interruptions on some titles, with Peters sharing that new-release movies will include only pre-roll ads to "preserve the cinematic experience."
Once fiercely against ads, Netflix had a change of tune in April when Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings confirmed the company was eyeing an ad-based tier. The new "subscription tier represents an exciting opportunity for advertisers – the chance to reach a diverse audience, including younger viewers who increasingly don't watch linear TV, in a premium environment with a seamless, high-resolution ads experience."
Netflix Basic With Ads is set to launch at 9 a.m. ET on Nov. 3 in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. The plan will first roll out to Canada and Mexico on Nov. 1. The new tier is set to cost $6.99 per month, which is $3 cheaper than the current lowest-prices option, the Basic plan, which currently costs $9.99 per month.