Skip to main content

Netflix launches new low-cost tier — here’s how to get it

Netflix has launched its new low-cost subscription plan, Basic With Ads.

The new plan costs $7 a month, $3 less than the next cheapest plan, Basic, which costs $10 a month.

Recommended Videos

Eleven other countries also launched Basic With Ads this week, namely Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Spain, and the UK.

“Basic With Ads” does what it says on the tin, that is, offers ads while you watch. The new plan offered by Netflix will show between four and five minutes of ads each hour, with each one running for up to 30 seconds. They’ll play before and during shows and movies, Netflix said.

But it should be noted that, besides the interruptions from advertisers, the new tier also comes with a number of limitations.

For example, streams are limited to 720p resolution, and content can only play on one device at a time, which is the same as the ad-free Basic tier.

But while you can download for offline viewing with the Basic, Standard, and Premium tiers, Basic With Ads does not allow this feature.

Also, some movies and shows will be missing from Netflix’s library due to licensing restrictions, though this could change if the streaming giant is able to agree on terms with its partners.

Netflix, which currently has 223 million subscribers globally, is hoping Basic With Ads will help to attract new customers and retain existing ones who are looking to save a few bucks in these challenging economic times.

“Basic with Ads is everything people love about Netflix, at a lower price, with a few ads in-between,” the company said on its website. “We’re confident that with Netflix starting at $6.99 a month, we now have a price and plan for every fan.”

One of Netflix’s main rivals, Disney+, is also introducing an ad-supported tier on December 8, costing $8 per month. Others already offer an add-supported tier; for example, Hulu’s costs $8 per month while Peacock charges $5.

How to get Basic With Ads

Log into your Netflix account and select “plan details” in Settings. Look for “change plan” and then select Basic With Ads from the four options. You’ll be put onto the new tier at the time of your next billing. New subscribers can simply select the Basic With Ads option when they sign up.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Got a PS5? Here’s how to get 6 free months of Apple Music
Apple Music on a PS5.

Apple is offering PlayStation 5 (PS5) owners six free months of its Apple Music streaming service.

In a deal with PlayStation maker Sony, Apple is letting PS5 owners enjoy all the benefits of the music streaming service, which offers around 100 million tracks for ad-free listening.

Read more
Netflix’s ad-supported tier will include ad-free bonus episodes in 2024
Netflix app icon on Apple TV.

It has now been a full year since Netflix shook things up by introducing a tier that includes advertising, available in a dozen countries for $7 a month. Now, just a couple weeks after the company’s third-quarter earnings report, Netflix is giving some details on how the ad-supported tier has worked out.

In a blog post penned by Netflix advertising president Amy Reinhard, the company says that it now has some 15 million global monthly active users on the ad-supported tier. The Q3 letter to shareholders noted that approximately 30% of new sign-ups were for the cheaper, ad-supported tier, up 70% quarter over quarter.

Read more
Netflix is about to get more expensive, again
Netflix app icon on Apple TV.

As was widely expected, Netflix is once again increasing the price of some of its plans. The company announced the changes in its third-quarter letter to shareholders.

Here's the breakdown in the U.S.:

Read more