A year after Netflix launched its ad-supported plan, the streamer proudly revealed that the tier has reached 15 million global monthly active users this time. That said, the company promises to give its subscribers “something bigger and better” and not just the same products and tools they have today.
In a blog post to celebrate the ad-supported plan’s first anniversary, Netflix’s advertising president, Amy Reinhard, shared the success of this move by building an incredible foundation and focusing on areas that matter the most. With this feat, the streaming giant aims to shape the future of advertising and help marketers tap into the fandom brought by its hit shows and movies.
After working with Microsoft Advertising, Reinhard then revealed a list of achievements, like elevating its measurement capabilities and enhancing the member experience after upgrading the feature set of the ad plans. By the end of this week, the ad-supported program will feature 1080p versus 720p video quality, two concurrent streams, and downloads—the latter is the first in any ad-supported streamer.
She also enlisted the new offerings and enhancements coming for its advertisers, like the new binge ad, which will see the viewing behavior of watching multiple episodes consecutively. The fourth episode will be ad-free after the users watch three episodes in a row.
Sponsorships will also expand next year. After the success of Frito Lay’s Smartfood’s sponsorship of Love is Blind, Netflix will work with additional sponsors for the upcoming Squid Game: The Challenge and The Crown Season 6. Lastly, it promises to bring more measurement capabilities to advertisers globally.
What is Netflix’s ad-supported plan?
Netflix’s ad-supported plan lets its subscribers enjoy watching TV series and movies at a lower price, only $6.99. Compared to the usual ad-free plans, which cost $15.49 to $22.99, this one will feature ads before or while users watch. However, subscribers must note that not every show in its library is available on this plan, as some are restricted due to licensing.
The unavailable titles will appear with a lock icon and can only be seen through the ad-free plans, which are quite pricier. In addition, the ad-supported plans are only available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S.
Sure, users used to complain about the ad-supported plan before it was even launched. But despite that, the figures speak volumes of its success.
