How Netflix's Cheaper Plan with Ads Affects You Right Now

Netflix’s dreaded ad-supported tier will be live today at 9 a.m. PT for $6.99 a month. 

After what seemed like an unraveling for Netflix in a post-pandemic world, Netflix announced some major changes that it would start implementing in 2022. The first move was to eliminate password sharing, which was losing the streaming giant around 100 million subscribers. 

Then, its prices went up. This move caused Netflix to lose over 200,000 subscribers, and another 700,000 when it canceled service in Russia. 

Then, Netflix announced a tier with commercials back in April, with Netflix COO Greg Peters saying that advertising “is an exciting opportunity” for the streamer. 

How exciting will this plan be? 

The Basic with Ads plan will allow you to watch Netflix from any device with 720p HD resolution, but you will no longer be able to download or stream ad-free. The next tier up, Basic, starts at $9.99 a month and will allow you to watch ad-free as well as download your favorite TV shows and movies. 

Unfortunately, not all movies and shows will be available to watch on the Basic with Ads plan. That’s because Netflix needs to renegotiate some of its deals with programming providers to insert ads into certain shows and movies. Older shows and movies may not have ads either since many streamers won't be returning to watch those titles, but newer shows and movies like Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and The Crown will. 

This is a very unpopular view amongst many streamers who have been major fans of and relied on Netflix’s uninterrupted streaming for years. While other streaming services like Hulu and Paramount+ integrated advertising since their inspection, it felt less intrusive since the main content on these services are TV shows. 

Netflix, however, is branded without those interruptions. 

Only time will tell how this shakes out, but the general mood toward watching movies with ads is not very positive. 

We will keep an eye out for the results, but until then, let us know your thoughts on the Basic with Ads tier in the comments below.