Netflix $6.99 Basic With Ads doesn't work on Apple TV hardware
Netflix's ad-supported tier is now available for $6.99 a month, but it doesn't work at all on the Apple TV streaming device.
Netflix logo
While it's clear that the app needs to be updated for the tier to function on Apple TV, it's not clear why the company decided to not make this available on Apple TV hardware for launch day. It is available on Chromecast, consoles, iOS, Amazon Fire, and natively on a wide array of smart televisions.
"Basic with ads plan support on tvOS is not available at launch but coming soon," Variety was told.
Users on the $6.99 Basic With Ads tier periodically see commercials in the middle of programming, with four to five minutes per streaming hour occupied with ads.
Not all content will be interrupted by commercials. Major releases coming to Netflix, such as "Knives Out 2," will have a preroll of spots but will play the movie without further interruptions.
"We'll try to preserve that sort of cinematic model there," said Netflix COO and product head Greg Peters. Film that have "been on the service for a while" will have a combination of pre-roll and mid-roll ads, but with "less frequent breaks."
Subscribers of the ad-supported tier will have access to almost the entire Netflix catalog, with exceptions for some content due to licensing restrictions. Up to 10% of content will be absent on a rotating basis due to deals between Netflix and studios.
Basic with Ads will be limited to 720p streaming, with only one stream allowed per account, and no downloading of content.
The $6.99-and-ads tier could be helpful for Netflix to attract more viewers in a heavily-saturated market, and one that will get tougher to consume at the value end of the spectrum. Disney is also working on its own ad-supported service that will cost a dollar more.
Read on AppleInsider
Netflix logo
While it's clear that the app needs to be updated for the tier to function on Apple TV, it's not clear why the company decided to not make this available on Apple TV hardware for launch day. It is available on Chromecast, consoles, iOS, Amazon Fire, and natively on a wide array of smart televisions.
"Basic with ads plan support on tvOS is not available at launch but coming soon," Variety was told.
Users on the $6.99 Basic With Ads tier periodically see commercials in the middle of programming, with four to five minutes per streaming hour occupied with ads.
Not all content will be interrupted by commercials. Major releases coming to Netflix, such as "Knives Out 2," will have a preroll of spots but will play the movie without further interruptions.
"We'll try to preserve that sort of cinematic model there," said Netflix COO and product head Greg Peters. Film that have "been on the service for a while" will have a combination of pre-roll and mid-roll ads, but with "less frequent breaks."
Subscribers of the ad-supported tier will have access to almost the entire Netflix catalog, with exceptions for some content due to licensing restrictions. Up to 10% of content will be absent on a rotating basis due to deals between Netflix and studios.
Basic with Ads will be limited to 720p streaming, with only one stream allowed per account, and no downloading of content.
The $6.99-and-ads tier could be helpful for Netflix to attract more viewers in a heavily-saturated market, and one that will get tougher to consume at the value end of the spectrum. Disney is also working on its own ad-supported service that will cost a dollar more.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
For anyone who doesn’t need more than a single feed, the ad-supported app looks like a really good deal, especially here in Canada where it will be only $5.99 a month.
Personally, I am hoping that Netflix's plan to add ads (particularly during the movie) is a gigantic flop, because I don't want any other service even considering this idea. Netflix is expensive (but not the priciest) for 4K or HD quality, and the point of us paying for these services is that they have things cable doesn't offer, like NO ADS. That's what our subscription is paying for -- our ability to watch quality stuff we like without disruption.
This crappy sub-HD offering destroys the entire point of watching a streaming service: the deal was that for a fee, we get to watch stuff on-demand, ad-free and uninterrupted.
The company is already going further, planning a big crackdown on password sharing. What's next, Netflix -- a per-device surcharge? Demanding that any change that falls out of our pockets while watching belongs to you?
This just seems like the sad, desperate final act of the former king of streaming, kind of like how Yahoo let Google eat their lunch on search.