By Zuko Komisa
Netflix is altering its approach and many subscribers are preparing themselves with what is coming.
In a letter to shareholders in 2019, the massive video-streaming platform stated that it would continue to be ad-free since: “it remains a significant component of our brand proposition.”
The year 2022, however, has generally been a nightmare for Netflix.
According to CNN, the world’s largest streaming service lost members for the first time in more than ten years, which caused the stock price to crash and the market cap to drop by billions.
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It was compelled to fire hundreds of workers and at that moment, concerns about the overall viability of the streaming market spread throughout the sector.
“The streaming giant unveiled “Basic with Ads,” its much anticipated ad-supported subscription plan, on Thursday.
The new tier will cost $6.99 a month in the US and be available Nov. 3 in the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain and the UK.
The company said that “current plans and members will not be impacted” and that “Basic with Ads complements our existing ad-free Basic, Standard and Premium plans.” said CNN.
Although South Africa is not now one of the launch countries, it will eventually reach our shores.
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With the exception of an additional four to five minutes of ads each hour of streaming, this ad-full option will be rather comparable to the current $9,99 (R180) per month Basic package.
These 15 or 30-second-long commercials will run both before and during TV shows and movies.
According to Netflix, it will make every effort to ensure that the advertisements are both pertinent to customers and consistent with an advertiser’s brand.
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