Netflix’s Basic with Ads Plan Now Available on Apple TV, After Four Month Absence
When Netflix announced last May that it was not only introducing an ad-supported price tier, but that it would come to market within six months, the streaming world was taken aback. For so long, Netflix had been the industry stalwart when it came to refusing to allow advertising on its platform, but changes in the marketplace forced its hand.
Now customers are deciding for themselves if the $6.99 per month “Basic with Ads” plan is a good idea, but one segment of the market has been left out until now. That’s users of Apple TV devices, who are now officially able to access Basic with Ads on their streaming box, over four months after the plan launched in November.
There was never any word from the two sides as to why Basic with Ads was not available on Apple TV between then and now. It’s possible that Apple wanted a higher commission to offer the plan because of the enhanced revenue per user it offers Netflix, or it could have been technical issues that kept Basic with Ads off Apple’s streaming devices.
It will be interesting to see how many Apple TV users take advantage of the Basic with Ads plan now that it’s available. The latest generation of Apple TV devices offer the ability to stream in 4K, plus HDR 10+ and support for Dolby Atmos, but there won’t be much need for those features with Basic with Ads. The plan maxes out at 720p screen resolution, so Apple TV customers won’t be able to stream anything on Netflix in 4K on that tier.
Apple TV users don’t have to worry about being too far behind other Netflix users, however. A survey from December found that Basic with Ads was Netflix’s least-popular option during November, and that just 9% of new Netflix subscriptions during that time were for that tier. The good news for the world’s largest streamer is that the plan has gained steam since then, having crossed the 1 million domestic users mark sometime in February.
Netflix’s competition has been dealing with similar issues when it comes to ad-supported streaming. Disney+ launched a plan with ads in December, but that option is still not available on Roku devices. Disney has seen more success with new customers adopting the plan, however; 20% of new signups to Disney+ in December were for its ad-supported tier.
The launch of Basic with Ads on Apple TV devices is a benefit to customers, but users are waiting with baited breath to see what Netflix intends to do about password sharing. The company has promised measures to curb account sharing were coming by the end of the first quarter of 2023, which is nearly here. The company has been silent for weeks on the issue, but subscribers might get an update very soon.
Netflix
Netflix is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 3,000+ movies, 2,000+ TV Shows, and Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Tiger King, and Bridgerton. They are constantly adding new shows and movies. Some of their Academy Award-winning exclusives include Roma, Marriage Story, Mank, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.