Millions of subscribers around the world have signed up for the cheaper ad-supported Netflix option.
Netflix has told advertisers it now has five million active subscribers who have taken out or switched over to Netflix with ads.
One million of those subscribers are in the USA with the remaining four million located in the eleven other countries where an ad-supported option is available. They are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The data was revealed by Jeremi Gorman, Netflix’s president of worldwide advertising, during a presentation to advertisers.
Following last year’s subscription price increase, the ad-supported Netflix offers viewers the chance to keep Netflix at a lower price. It comes as streaming companies compete to retain customers tightening their belt amidst high levels of inflation.
▶️ Netflix with ads: cost, features and drawbacks
In the UK, Netflix with ads costs £4.99 a month. Ad-free plans start from £6.99 a month. The ad-supported option isn’t currently available in the Republic of Ireland.
Netflix with ads – officially known as the “Standard with adverts” plan offers users full HD resolution and will allow you to watch on up to two devices, which can include your TV, mobile phone, laptop, computer, or tablet. But the budget option doesn’t allow you to download content to watch offline.
There’s an average of four to five minutes of adverts per hour. But due to licensing issues, some content that Netflix has bought in from other providers isn’t available on the plan.
However, with over 232 million subscribers globally, those taking an ad-supported plan still form a tiny minority of Netflix users. The ad-supported option only began global rollout last year.
As Netflix commences its clampdown on account sharing this month in the UK, the cheaper ad-supported option may gain additional takers from users who originally shared a password.
Marc Thornham