Netflix Starts Booting Subscribers Off Cheapest Basic Ads-Free Plan

[Iwavvns]

And the water temperature goes up another notch.

Less than five years until all streaming plans have ads.

It's cable TV all over again.

Yep, I knew this would come. Lure you in with cheap stuff then raise the price once you’re too addicted to leave. It’s moneyworship 101?

 

[Hildy]

Based on these comments Apple could make some users happy with automatic commercial muting.

I consume add supported content in freeview circumstances only, and even then I mute most of the adds. If I pay for a streaming service it is only short term when I don’t find anything compelling on freeview or to watch specific content.

Netflix was cancelled long ago because of price hikes, and has remained so because my family frequently travel different places at different times. I recall some effort to stop clients watching in two places at once?

 

[reyesmac]

Things got expensive in the 70's but eventually was more affordable later. Wonder how these companies that rely on ripping off their customers are going to make it when new companies will be able to offer more for less eventually. If anything, Netflix will have way less staff in the future than it does now, sort of like twitter.

 

[ashdelacroix]

Netflix is emboldened by the fact that, when they enforced their policy against password-sharing, they saw subscriber numbers rise notably. Netflix is at a stage where it can charge more, and still retain and increase its base. However, this is not safe territory. Netflix will hit a tipping point when cheaper rivals join forces, or some other kind of initiative is launched, that renders Netflix substantially less attractive and where, importantly, the good will that users have towards the brand is weakened. Remember that Netflix is on a treadmill: it needs to increase subscriber numbers to keep making the expensive shows that retain those subscribers. It only takes a small change in that dynamic, such as a few years' of flatlined user acquisition, for Netflix to be in the red. I don't think it will have its own Blockbuster phase for a long time, but Netflix won't be "cool" forever. There will be cycles.

 

[vjl323]

I do not think there is any company out there who is not trying to screw over it's customers by finding ways to get more money out of them for less services.

I'd argue that Amazon is worse - they forced ads on paying Prime users - even those who pay annually. Yes, I can now pay $3 a month extra for no ads and the sound features that I originally was promised when I started my annual membership - but that's a breach of contract as when folks signed up, they were promised a year of ad free [except live sports] service, and the Dolby features - both are now behind a $3/month paywall. Annual members were not grandfathered in until the end/renewal date of their contract. As a result a class action lawsuit is underway:

Prime Video subscribers to Amazon: Ads? See you in court

A proposed class-action lawsuit accuses Amazon of the old bait-and-switch for injecting ads into Prime Video.

www.techhive.com

Also for where I live, I rarely ever get the 2-day shipping any more. It's usually 5-7 days. Definitely thinking not renewing Prime is the best bet

Shame on Netflix for following in Amazon's footsteps.

 

[PowerButton]

I do not think there is any company out there who is not trying to screw over it's customers by finding ways to get more money out of them for less services.

That’s what inflation does. You have to pay employees, contractors, and studios more which cuts into their bottom line.

 

[Xavier]

The idea of paying to watch ads for me is insane. Even if it it only costs a 1 cent.

Capitalism at its finest.

edit: for those who disagree, well, keep defending a billionaire company while they charge you to watch ads the only moment you have to relax in your day while they increase their revenue and worsen your experience 🙂

I agree and I well not pay for a streaming service with ads. It does seem like they are trying their best to get us to watch ads anywhere possible. I fear it wont be long until we see the next hike in the ad-free tier.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

That’s what inflation does. You have to pay employees, contractors, and studios more which cuts into their bottom line.

I would believe that if they weren't growing their revenue and profit faster than inflation. There is a reason you hear the phrase greedflation in the news.

Several companies raised prices necessarily because of inflation but some companies took the inflation number and added 5%, 10% or more to their prices just to pad their revenue and then blame the entire raise on inflation.

 

[mdnz]

Why does Netflix need so much more money? What expenses do they have that have risen so much?

It’s a publicly traded company. Their only goal is to make more money. I’m invested because I want some upgrades to my house and the people paying for watching ads are gonna finance that.

 

[ifxf]

It is almost impossible to stream a major studio pre 2000 movie without paying an additional price.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

It is almost impossible to stream a major studio pre 2000 movie without paying an additional price.

For older movies we have been buying them as DVD/BluRay used on Amazon or eBay often for less than the cost of single rental via steaming.

Screw paying for these older movies over and over.

 

[krspkbl]

I believe Netflix once said that they can keep increasing prices and customers will stay.

It didn't work on me as I cancelled last year after the billionth price hike.

why did you wait a billion times to leave?

i don't sub to netflix all the time. i'll join now and then when i feel like it. they can hike their price all they want but they need to have a good library for me to justify paying for it. i just paid £10.99 for a month (Which i'll cancel) and i have a load of stuff on my watch list.

 

[Crowbot]

But isn't this kind of silly for Netflix to assume that every time you log in to another TV, it is your "home" like what if you are on a Eurotrip and change Hotel every 2 days. Aren't they going to block you eventually for changing your "home" too often (from their point of view)?

You assume Netflix is "thinking" bout things like this. So much of our electronic life is on autopilot. I recently signed up with a new doctor in the hospital system where I am a patient. I was asked to fill out a questionnaire of my medical history in spite of 95% of the info being already on the system.

 

[DamFu]

The idea of paying to watch ads for me is insane. Even if it it only costs a 1 cent.

Capitalism at its finest.

edit: for those who disagree, well, keep defending a billionaire company while they charge you to watch ads the only moment you have to relax in your day while they increase their revenue and worsen your experience 🙂

By your comment, I take it you only had over the air TV and did not have cable? That had plenty of channels with ads which means you would have paid to watch ads.

 

[Ruggy]

they can seriously F off.

I am no longer able to use Netflix on my iPhone and iPad without sending myself a code (which is limited to a certain amount if I am not mistaken) because the stupid Apps claim that I am travelling even though I am at home. I think it is related to having logged into an Android TV in an AirBnB in Sweden in May (I logged out of the TV when we left).

I can only use it on my Apple TV for some reason. One of the reasons to go the legal route used to be "convenience" but clearly that is no longer the case.

Log into Netflix then navigate to 'account'
Scroll down to 'manage access and devices' and sign out of any accounts there that you aren't still using.
It might solve your problem.

 

[harriska2]

We watch Netflix a lot and have been on the 4k plan. There is a point where we will stop paying, probably around $30/mo. At that point there are alternatives.

 

[Jamie0003]

It’s insane to me people continue to give this awful company money after the millionth price hike.

I’ve gone back to buying my movies/TV shows on iTunes now. So much better, only issue is a lot of these companies are keeping content exclusive to their platforms, maybe I’ll set up a media server in future…

 

[jazz1]

C'mon Netflix and the rest of you pirate streaming services....."Let's Parlay"!!!!

 

[Treq]

That’s what inflation does. You have to pay employees, contractors, and studios more which cuts into their bottom line.

That’s the problem though. In years with higher than average inflation companies should be showing lower profits, but they aren’t. The pursuit of increased growth is squeezing the little guy. CEOs and executives aren’t going to stop giving themselves raises. The two CEOs of Netflix in the past year made $50 million each. If you assume the lowest paid person at Netflix makes around $50k, that’s 1000x the lowest paid person at the company for each of them. Capitalism is doing its thing to create massive wealth inequality as the more capital you have the more power you have to tip the balance in your favor to increase that inequality.

 

[contacos]

You assume Netflix is "thinking" bout things like this. So much of our electronic life is on autopilot. I recently signed up with a new doctor in the hospital system where I am a patient. I was asked to fill out a questionnaire of my medical history in spite of 95% of the info being already on the system.

Hey but impressive that you have a system or database for that. Over here in Germany it’s most likely collecting dust in some archive and doctor 1 doesn’t know what doctor 2 did and sadly neither do I

 

[smorrissey]

I watched the new Nicole Kidman movie last night what a cr@ppy movie.

 

[ChedNasad]

I'll stop watching TV before I go back to watching ads.

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

Maybe they should boot some of their staff if they cheapest ad-free tier doesn’t pay well.

 

[autistic-savant]

👻

 

[jozero]

Man the behaviour of these companies is insane

Here was your plan. We have cancelled it. Either pay double or pay basically the same and now get ads.

The *moment* there is a reasonable alternative I'm quitting this service. Treat your customers like crap, and eventually you'll find out. I know they think they are invincible, and usually they are, but what an F U to all their customers