Netflix’s new ad-supported tier, called Netflix Basic with Ads, is now available to subscribers who want to save a little cash while accessing its content. Netflix Basic with Ads has launched in the U.S., parts of Europe, Australia and a few other regions. The tier is more affordable, but it comes with some limitations besides just the ads.
Netflix’s existing plans will remain ad-free, but those who’d like a cheaper alternative can now sign up for just $6.99 a month in the U.S., if they’re willing to tolerate around 4-5 minutes of adverts per hour of content watched. The ads will show up before and during movies and TV shows, with each one lasting for around 15 to 30 seconds, Netflix has said. Those ads that appear mid-content will only show up during what Netflix calls “natural breaks”.
Users should note that Netflix games and Kids shows will remain ad-free, even for Netflix Basic with Ads subscribers.
"In short, Basic with Ads is everything people love about Netflix, at a lower price, with a few ads in-between," said Greg Peters, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer at Netflix, in a statement last month.
That statement is not entirely correct, however as there are a few other limitations that the company chose not to publicise quite so loudly. For one thing, Netflix Basic with Ads is apparently unsupported on any Apple TV streaming box, nor does it work on older Chromecast streaming devices. It does however work with Chromecast with Google TV. It’s also not supported on the PS3 Netflix app, nor the Windows Netflix app. Moreover, Android devices must be running Android 7 or later, while Apple devices must run iOS 15 or later, to access the new tier.
Should anyone try to login to Netflix on an unsupported device with one of those incompatible devices, they’ll be asked to upgrade to a more expensive plan or use an alternative device, the company said.
“To watch Netflix on your Apple TV, you'll need to upgrade your Netflix plan to the Basic, Standard, or Premium plan,” Netflix said in a statement. “Or, to watch Netflix and stay on your current plan, you'll need to use a different device."
Netflix Basic with Ads subscribers will also be unable to access the service if they travel to a region where the new tier is currently unavailable. Moreover, even in regions where it is available, and with a device that supports it, some movies and shows will not be accessible with the new tier. Apparently, this is due to licensing restrictions, Netflix has said. So these titles will show up in the menu, but they’ll have a lock icon next to them.
In addition, Netflix Basic with Ads subscribers will not be able to download content for offline viewing.
Netflix Basic with Ads is available now in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the U.K. and the U.S., and will become available in Spain from Nov. 10. It’s not known when the new tier will come to other regions, but that is apparently something that will happen at a later date.
