Netflix released its new ad tier today, and subscribers are finding out that it locks them out of watching some series. Some shows include House of Cards and Arrested Development. This is on top of not knowing how many commercials they will have to watch through a show or movie.
Netflix Basic with Ads is a new ad tier that accompanies other plans with Basic, Standard, and Premium, which offers its highest-value of perks with 4K and higher quality sound. The new model is $6.99 for 720p resolution, with ads that are 15 to 30-second ads every few minutes, approximately five minutes on average. From a test done by Jay Peters from The Verge, some content has ads, some don’t, and some are inconsistent with when they appear. The four to five-minute approximation is said to be accurate. The plan also does not allow for offline downloads.
Netflix locks ad tier subscribers from some series, like Arrested Development
When it comes to what gets thrown behind bars from Netflix for its ad tier subscribers, it varies across the board for series and some movies. You can search for anything you want, but a red padlock will brand the image that you are trying to access. If clicked on, it will take you to a menu to upgrade to a higher plan that will unlock the show or film.
Licensing in entertainment is a nightmare thing to navigate. Who owns what can be a headache for the biggest studios, like Marvel, which does not own everything that you may think it does, which leads to certain characters getting standalone projects or not. This landscape is why some are not available to all users on the streamer, as it must restrict based on your plan.
Netflix with Ads is available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S.