Netflix Reportedly Eyes $7-$9 Monthly Ad-Supported Plan Beginning 2023

Earlier this summer, when Netflix found themselves getting knocked the **** out by Wall Street, the streamer began putting into play a number of potential initiatives to help steer the ship safely down the streaming waters once again. One of those initiatives was the creation of an ad-support subscription membership plan. If Bloomberg’s reporting proves to be accurate (calling it “speculation at this point,” a Netflix rep told Bloomberg: “We are still in the early days of deciding how to launch a lower priced, ad-supported tier, and no decisions have been made”), we might have a better idea on how that will work.

Reportedly, the ad-supported option would begin rolling out in early 2023 and be priced between $7-$9 per month, with four minutes of advertising content per hour based on source reporting to Bloomberg (in line with Disney+’s ad-supported plan set for this December). In addition, sources say that ads won’t run during kids’ programming or original films; offline downloading and skipping through channels will not be available. Also, something to keep in mind: not all content will be available on the ad-supported plan. “Some things we’re in conversations with studios on. We will clear some additional content. Not all of it. I don’t think it’s a material hold-back to the business,” said Netflix co-CEO & Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos back in July during the company’s earnings call. Wall Street analysts see the move as a smart one on the streamer’s part, showing a willingness to adjust to the current competitive streaming market. Of course, offering our two cents? The streamer would also do well by moving forward with a flexible release schedule for its originals. The goal wouldn’t be to eliminate binge drops but to have the streamer, creative team & producers work together to determine the best release cycle on a series-by-series basis.