With the news Disney Plus plans to introduce a new ad-supported pricing tier later this year, many streamers may have wondered whether Netflix would consider doing likewise.
The streaming pioneer is, among other things, credited with relieving viewers of advertisements interrupting our favourite shows and has never hinted such a move could be on the cards.
However, with subscription prices on the rise once again and key rivals like Disney and HBO opening the door to advertisers to keep subscriptions costs lower for some viewers, might that be about to change?
Not in the short-term, but Netflix’s chief financial officer Spencer Neumann isn’t about to rule out a shift to ad-supported options in the future.
Speaking at an investor conference reported by Variety, Neumann said: “It’s not like we have religion against advertising, to be clear. But that’s not something that’s in our plans right now. We have a really nice scalable subscription model, and again, never say never, but it’s not in our plan.
“It’s hard for us to kind of ignore that others are doing it, but it now doesn’t make sense for us,” he added, while jokingly stating “I don’t think I’ll get it” as pertains to Disney Plus with ads.
Neumann also acknowledged that the recent price increases on home soil might prohibit the company’s growth, but says that “at the end of the day, we’re pricing for what we believe is the value we provide.” Indeed, 90% of Netflix’s overall subscriber growth was from outside North America.
Disney said last week that the ad-supported option would mean “more consumers will be able to access our amazing content. Advertisers will be able to reach a wider audience, and our storytellers will be able to share their incredible work with more fans and families.”
The case is compelling. Would you be prepared to put up with ads if Netflix, say, halved the monthly price? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
You might like…
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
