Netflix Basic With Ads Plan Pricing, Launch Date Revealed

Ads may be annoying, but at $6.99, the new basic with ads package is the cheapest rate the company has ever offered in the United States. It’s essentially the same settings as the current basic package, but $3 cheaper and includes an “average of 4 to 5 minutes of ads per hour” according to a statement issued by the streaming service. Pricing details for other locations are yet to be released, but the company has said basic with ads will be an option in 11 other countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain and the UK.

The ads themselves will be “between 15 and 30 seconds in length” and “play before and during” the streaming service’s shows and movies. There are also a few restrictions with the plan. Netflix says that some movies and TV shows available on the ad-free plans aren’t available on the new package because of “licensing restrictions.” However, it also says it’s working on fixing that problem. Basic with ads users will not be able to download shows to view offline. The company has also noted that “the basic with ads plan may not be available through all third-party billing partners and packages. Please check with your provider to confirm availability.” Netflix’s latest subscription model is due to launch on November 3 at 9 a.m. PST. There’s a possibility the streaming service sees it as an opportunity to regain some subscribers and give its prospects a boost after its share price took a major dive earlier this year.