This is the day Netflix told us would never come: Netflix with ads is real.
The cheaper, ad-supported subscription tier of the streamer has officially arrived in the US, UK, and Australia, launching in Canada on November 1. Called Netflix Basic with Ads, the new plan costs $6.99 / £4.99 / AU$6.99 per month and provides access to (almost) all of the platform's movies and TV shows in exchange for your tolerance for up to five minutes of commercials per month. hour.
We say "almost all" because Netflix has confirmed (opens in a new tab) that a "limited number" of shows are not available in the new ad-supported tier due to licensing restrictions. Don't panic, though: You'll still have all the best Netflix shows and movies available if you decide to make the switch.
Other caveats include the inability to download content for offline viewing and a 720p cap on video quality, but that's the price you pay for paying a lower price (Gosh, that's a tongue twister).
Below, we'll walk you through how to upgrade to Netflix Basic with Ads from your current Netflix plan or sign up for the cheaper streaming tier as a new Netflix subscriber. We also share our first thoughts on the value for money that Netflix Basic with Ads brings to the streaming table.
New subscribers
The steps required to join Netflix Basic with Ads as a new subscriber are the same as those required to set up any other type of Netflix subscription.
If you've never had a Netflix account before, go to Netflix.com (opens in a new tab) and sign in with your email address, date of birth, and gender to create one. . You will be prompted to create a password and select a payment method, before being given the option to choose your plan: Basic with Ads, Basic, Standard, or Premium.
Select Basic with Ads and you're ready to start streaming.
existing subscribers
If you already have a Netflix account and want to upgrade to Basic with Ads, the process is just as easy.
First, sign in to your Netflix account on your laptop or tablet and go to your profile. Select Account and scroll down to Plan Details where you will see the Change Plan option.
Click Change Plan and you'll see the list of available subscription levels, which now include Basic with Ads. Select Continue, then confirm your changes.
It should be noted that while changes to higher-tier Netflix plans take effect immediately, changes to lower-priced plans won't go live until your next billing date. In other words, your account won't show ads immediately if you decide to make the switch; you can continue to enjoy the benefits of a more expensive plan until your next payment date.
Do I have to subscribe to Basic with Ads?
It goes without saying, but the value of switching to this cheaper Netflix plan will depend on your personal circumstances.
Sure, it's not a particularly attractive proposition knowing that your Netflix movies and TV shows will be interrupted by up to five minutes of commercials an hour if you subscribe, but the fact of the matter is that it's the cheapest Netflix subscription we've ever seen.
For $6.99 / $4.99 / AU$6.99 a month, you can still binge on things like Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Sex Education and Bridgerton to your heart's content - you'll only tolerate watching a series of 15-30 second ads before and during viewing.
Netflix's decision to adopt ads is, of course, primarily driven by its desire to improve its bottom line, but the decision also offers more options for customers who would prefer to pay significantly less for Netflix at the expense of ad-free viewing (in comparison, the highest subscription level of the streamer currently costs €19.99 / £15.99 / AU$22.99).
It's also important to note that the price of existing Netflix subscriptions remains, at least for now, the same as it was before the launch of Basic with Ads. You don't have to upgrade to the cheaper, ad-supported Netflix plan if you don't want to.
Business is business, and Netflix is likely to raise its subscription prices again in 2023, but as things stand, it's hard to blame the company for introducing a more affordable Netflix plan that will no doubt help millions of customers to save money without losing access. to your favorite shows.
We'll have a more complete understanding (and opinion) of the new Netflix plan once we've spent some time experimenting with Basic with Ads for ourselves. For now, though, we're inclined to recommend it to those who want to enjoy, or continue to enjoy, the streamer's award-winning programming for the monthly price of an expensive coffee.
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