What you have to do without with the cheap subscription

Netflix starts its cheaper advertising subscription in Germany. This offers real savings for 5 euros a month. If you decide to do this, you will have to live with some restrictions from now on.

Netflix with advertising for 5 euros a month: cheap subscription started

Netflix is ​​struggling and is looking for ways out of the crisis: since the beginning of 2022, the number of customers has been declining for the first time in the history of the streaming veteran, but a turnaround has now been achieved. But it has to be sustainable, Netflix has to put money into the coffers. One of the steps for this: The freedom of advertising at Netflix has come to an end.

At least for subscribers who would rather put up with commercial breaks than pay high monthly fees. After only announced delays until 2023, the time has now come: The basic subscription with advertising starts on November 3, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. in Germany. This will not change anything for existing Netflix customers.

In the advertising subscription four to five minutes of advertising per hour be shown, albeit in small segments of 15 to 30 seconds in length. The advertisements can appear before and during a series or film.

If you opt for the low price of 4.99 euros per month, you have to accept a few more restrictions: The Image quality is limited to 720p/HD, FHD or 4K is not offered in the promotional plan. There will also be no downloads to watch films or series offline in the apps. Also, not all Netflix selections will be available.

Netflix can do whatever it wants with its own productions, such as Stranger Things. They can be shown overnight with a promotional subscription. It looks different with third-party productions: series like You (Warner Bros.), Matryoshka (universal) or Cobra Kai (Sony), whose studios must agree to a release in the ad-supported model. But also classics like Breaking Bad are on the brink (source: Engadget).

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Netflix’s advertising subscription has to do without some top content

Netflix has announced that it will continue to work to make as much content as possible available to all subscribers (Source: Netflix). But there is no guarantee. If a studio gets in the way, Netflix has no choice.

These problems are unlikely to go down well with those interested in the subscription model. According to Netflix boss Ted Sarandos, it will be possible to offer “some more content” than previously set, “but certainly not all”. So, in terms of choice, Netflix is ​​forced to do that demoting the subscription model to second-class Netflix. Subscribers who opt for the advertising version can now see exactly what is included and what is not on Netflix.