All good things must come to an end. Or at least, most good things must at some point or another change, and Netflix is no stranger to changing. Whether it's updating its library, coming up with new rules, or switching up its algorithms, Netflix loves to keep things fresh and new.
The latest update from the streaming platform is sure to be a controversial one, since it involves the biggest feature that Netflix offers: the lack of commercials and advertising.
Even if you don't use the streaming platform yourself (do these people still exist?), you probably know the basic idea: you pay a monthly subscription fee, and this means you can pick and choose what to watch, when to watch it, and you get to watch it with no commercials or advertising interrupting your experience.
But for some users, that's about to change.
"One way to increase the price spread is advertising on low-end plans and to have lower prices with advertising," Hastings said. "Those who have followed Netflix know that I've been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription."
"Allowing consumers who would like to have a lower price and are advertising-tolerant get what they want makes a lot of sense. So, that's something we're looking at now, we're trying to figure out over the next year or two. Think of us as quite open to offering even lower prices with advertising as consumer choice," he said.
"I'm sure we'll just get in and figure it out as opposed to testing it," Hastings went on, adding that it is "not a short-term fix, because once you start offering a lower-priced plan with ads as an option, some consumers take it."
"So when Netflix starts offering a tier with commercials, it's that regular TV? Does that mean better residuals? Will newer writers NOT have to work in 6 mini-rooms/yr to make what I made ten years ago on one show?" tweeted one showrunner and writer.
For some people, this would be enough to cancel their subscriptions altogether. "Absolutely not. I will not be paying for Netflix if I have to sit through commercials. It defeats the purpose," tweeted one user.
"Y’all make more than enough money and is very successful without it… let me guess y’all gone make people pay extra to not have commercials or ads?" one user asked.
"That's just Hulu," pointed out one response, although Hulu isn't the only streaming service that allows people to opt-out of ads at a price — Disney+ and YouTube also both offer this feature.
What do you think? Would you take a lower monthly subscription fee for Netflix if it meant having to see advertising or commercials sometimes? Let us know how you feel in the comments!
h/t: Deadline
