Netflix’s ad tier is finally here: Beginning on Nov. 3 at 9 a.m. PT, Netflix will launch its Basic with Ads plan, which will cost $6.99, in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain and the U.K.
Current members and those with current plans will not be impacted lest they decide to switch to the tier. The ad-tier will compliment the streamer’s ad-free Basic, Standard and Premium Plans, which are priced at $9.99, $15.99 and $19.99, respectively, and is essentially another version of the Basic plan with an average of four to five minutes of ads per hour. At launch, each ad will be 15 or 30 seconds in length, which will play before and during programs.
Netflix has also upped its basic tiers’ video quality up to 720p/HD (up from 480p/HD). On the Basic with Ads plan, a “limited number” of shows and movies won’t be available due to licensing restrictions, which the streamer said it is working on. The tier also does not allow for downloading.
For advertisers, Netflix is offering broad targeting capabilities by country and genre, as well as the ability to prevent ads from appearing on content that might be inconsistent with their brand (e.g. sex, nudity or graphic violence). In 2023, Nielsen will also use its Digital Ad Ratings to report how advertisers are reaching audiences via Nielsen ONE Ads.
Netflix also said it will not be hosting political ads.
The launch date for Basic with Ads comes less than four months after the streamer’s initial announcement of the plan. According to a previous study, those willing to make the move to Basic with Ads tend to skew older and make less per capita, with Gen Z respondents being the least interested (at 38%) in making the switch.
Rival streamer Disney+ is also launching its own ad tier at $7.99 per month, but if you don’t want ads on Disney+ you’ll have to pay an increased price of $10.99.
