It seems that Netflix is going against its original vision, as it has decided to start showing ads during its shows and movies.
Netflix started out with the appeal of being different from “ordinary” television, with viewers able to watch their favorite content, as well as new content, free of interruptions. Unfortunately, Netflix has started following the trend of offering a cheaper subscription with ads, and a more expensive one without them.
On October 13th, Netflix UK officially announced that it would start this new plan from November onwards. The new cheaper option is dubbed “Basic with Ads,” priced at 4.99 pounds. The other options offered are Standard and Premium. Netflix explains that in total, there will be 4 to 5 minutes of ads with each ad lasting about 20 to 30 seconds.
Along with this worrying development comes further restrictions – another announcement claims that some shows and movies won’t be available due to license restrictions. One of Netflix’s best assets, its ability to download shows and films, will also be unavailable from November.
Personally, I believe that this will only add to the dire situation Netflix is in and will plunge it further into obscurity. In the first quarter of 2022 alone Netflix lost 200,000 subscribers and is expected to fall even further as time goes on. Netflix is already expensive, but this new model motivates people to leave even more. The constant elimination of content continues too, with films like The Amazing Spider-Man and Troy leaving the platform this October.
Despite being one of the first and most successful streaming services, Netflix has started to fall behind others like HBO Max and Disney+. This is primarily due to brand recognition and the options offered by these competitors. From what I see Netflix only has Stranger Things left as its ultimate asset content-wise.
Meanwhile Disney+ has huge pop culture icons like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars content available for streaming. HBO Max creates original productions with star actors – my personal favorite is The Terminal List starring Chris Pratt.
Unless Netflix tries its best to reverse this situation, it’s going to go the way of its own predecessors and be beaten by newer streaming services. The question remains as to whether it’ll desperately try to appeal to advertisers in the face of falling subscriptions, or if it can salvage itself and gain its audience back.
