Continuing its recent series of competitive changes that have included a gaming service and price hikes, Netflix now is speeding up the addition of its cheaper, ad-supported tier to beat Disney+.
According to a report by Variety, Netflix is moving its ad-supported tier to a November 1 release date in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France and Germany. Netflix had initially revealed the plan with a release date of "early 2023," though according to ad buyers, it's now being sped up to compete with Disney+. which is set to release its own ad-supported tier on December 8 alongside a price hike for its main plan.
While Variety's sources confirmed this new date, Netflix representative told Variety that no final decision has been made. “We are still in the early days of deciding how to launch a lower-priced, ad-supported tier and no decisions have been made,” a Netflix representative told Variety.
Netflix's ad-supported tier is reportedly now heading to screens in just two months, but the company still hasn't revealed what else this subscription might include (or lack). It's possible that it might not include every Netflix show, and it's also likely to block users from downloading shows for offline viewing.
Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they've contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.
Source: IGN.com Netflix Reportedly Trying To Get Its Ad-Supported Plan Out Ahead of Disney Plus