It’s no secret that Netflix plans to introduce a cheaper ad-supported tier, but the announcement led to some big questions, including how those ads will work.
Although they are pretty much a mainstay in the physical world, ads in digital content and on websites have earned a negative reputation. Unlike TV commercials and newspaper ads, the advertisements you see in apps and on sites have the habit of following you around and taking a peek at your activities via tracking. That said, it’s hard to deny how those ads can be beneficial, at least when used properly and conscientiously — they can, for example, enable companies to offer free services, which is how many like Google, YouTube, Facebook, and the rest operate.
Subscription-based companies like Netflix are also starting to use that strategy to make their products more attractive, but it seems that those on the company’s upcoming ad-supported tier won’t have to worry about being bombarded with disruptive commercials all the time. After a series of rumors, Netflix confirmed earlier this summer that it is indeed developing a more affordable subscription tier for its video streaming service that will be partly subsidized with ads. This plan won’t be completely free, of course, but it could still be cheaper than the platform’s base price of $9.
