Netflix wants to force new customers to subscribe with advertising

Netflix seems to want to force new customers to subscribe with advertising. If you want to register on the platform for the first time, you will only see three instead of four tariff options. The cheapest basic subscription is missing.

Netflix has been offering a subscription with advertising for almost two months now. Experts declared the new offer media reports according to it, however, as a letdown. In addition, the data analysis company shows Antenna based on a projection that the model with advertising among users the least popular option seems to be.

As a result, Netflix can’t keep its audience promises to advertisers. Like the US magazine Digiday reports, the company therefore allows its advertisers to reclaim their money for ads that did not run.

Netflix reacts to bad subscription numbers with advertising

Now Netflix seems to be reacting with desperation: The streaming service is apparently trying to force new customers to sign up for advertising subscriptions by hiding the cheapest ad-free alternative.

Users who want to register on the streaming platform for the first time are looking in vain for the classic basic tariff for 7.99 euros a month. Instead, only the standard tariff for 12.99 euros per month and the premium version for 17.99 euros per month are displayed. And of course the basic subscription with advertising for 4.99 euros per month.

Netflix hides basic subscription without ads

The cheaper basic model is still available as usual without advertising. However, it is only mentioned in the “fine print” by the streaming platform.

Only after clicking on a small hint do all subscription models appear – including the basic tariff without advertising. However, people who get caught by the three options marked in red can quickly miss this opportunity.

Netflix subscription with ads offers very limited service

It seems obvious why the subscription with advertising is so badly received by customers: Presumably many users prefer to pay a few euros more a month in order to be able to do without the four to five-minute advertising feeds. After all, that would also explain why Netflix is ​​trying to make the basic tariff more difficult to access.

However, the advertising subscription is also very limited in other places. For example, customers cannot use the range of films and series offline. Also, the service isn’t available on all devices, including Apple TV and Sony’s Playstation 3, for example. Incidentally, there is no indication of this either.

In addition, users are unable to view a certain selection of content, including some Netflix original productions. In addition, subscribers only stream the available catalog in lower quality.

Is Netflix giving in to the competition?

The fact that Netflix does not disclose all subscription options directly could be an indication of how much the company suffers from competition with other providers. And there are more and more.

In addition to Amazon Prime and Disney Plus, Netflix now also has to assert itself in Germany against the US services Peacock, Paramount Plus and Discovery Plus. In early 2022, the company saw user numbers fall for the first time since 2011. In the summer of 2022, the streaming service also laid off around 300 employees to save costs.

Like the online magazine serial junkies reported, Netflix was initially relaxed with regard to the low interest in the subscription with advertising. The model is still new and we are happy about the launch and the commitment and enthusiasm of the advertisers: inside to work with Netflix.

Also interesting: