All articles tagged with #ad supported
Disney is exploring a free, ad-supported streaming offering to attract price-sensitive users and boost ad revenue, potentially driving more Disney+ signups; Netflix says a free tier could work in some markets but would require careful management of cannibalization and a strong ads business, with no timeline announced.
Disney is weighing a free, ad-supported FAST offering to reach price-sensitive audiences, boost ad-revenue potential through greater inventory, and funnel Disney+ subscriber growth, with no concrete launch timing yet as the company works to turn Disney+ into a broader membership ecosystem. Disney reported about 132 million Disney+ subscribers and 196 million combined with Hulu as of late 2025, and CEO Josh D’Amaro said the idea is under serious consideration.
Microsoft is running a voluntary test of an ad-supported cloud gaming experience for Xbox Insiders. Players can stream owned titles or free-to-play games (e.g., Forza Horizon 6, 007 First Light, Call of Duty: Warzone, Genshin Impact, War Thunder) after a two-minute ad block, then play for up to an hour before another ad block is offered to resume. Xbox says this test will help gauge interest and impact, but it does not confirm a broader ad-supported tier yet; ads are designed to add value without interrupting gameplay and will follow a set of quality guidelines.
Apple Music could be getting a free, ad-supported tier, hints of which appeared in code found in an Android beta. The move would represent a shift from its subscription-only model, potentially as a lower-cost or free option, but insiders like Apple Music VP Oliver Schusser have argued a free tier would hurt artists. The Android discovery leaves uncertainty about timing; any changes would likely roll out to iOS and Android if pursued. The shift could help Apple Music gain listeners amid Spotify’s larger market share, though its viability remains debated and not confirmed.
Microsoft has removed the Xbox Live multiplayer paywall, making online multiplayer free and revamping Game Pass with a Free Tier that includes ads plus multiple paid options (Starter, Premium, Ultimate, PC Game Pass). The company is also exploring an a la carte subscription model and rumored Netflix bundle, while Project Helix aims to unify console and PC gaming across devices.
Netflix’s ad-supported tier now reaches about 250 million monthly viewers, more than doubling from last year, and the company disclosed $1.5 billion in ad revenue for 2025. It’s expanding ads into its new vertical video feed on mobile and the podcast lineup, rolling out to 15 new countries while testing personalized ads based on viewing behavior, even as Texas sues Netflix over data collection and price hikes on the Basic plan.
Streaming platforms are shifting from a pure subscription model to hybrids with advertising, and Netflix is leading the change by raising its ad-free plan to about $20/month while expanding an ad-supported tier at $9. With 325 million subscribers and hundreds of billions of hours watched, Netflix argues that ad engagement can deliver similar lifetime value as subscriptions, forecasting ad revenue to hit about $3 billion in 2026. Growth is increasingly driven by ad-supported signups (roughly 71% of new subscribers), and consumers are willing to trade ads for lower prices, signaling a tipping point where advertising becomes a core driver of streaming revenue.
Investors are prioritizing profitability over subscriber counts in streaming, led by Netflix’s strong margins (about 29.5% in 2025) while legacy media players like Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery seek sustainable profits through higher prices and ad-supported tiers. The sector faces a profitability ceiling as competition for viewership rises and consumer price sensitivity grows, even as streaming remains a bright spot for stock performance and potential ad growth; mergers and diversification into merchandising and live events are part of the broader strategy.
Netflix raised its standard ad-free plan to $19.99/month, highlighting a broader industry shift where ad-supported tiers are becoming more lucrative and central to pricing. As platforms push ads and improve targeting, the ad tier is growing in value while overall costs rise; observers note streaming CPMs remain higher than traditional TV, and even as Apple stays ad-free for now, the trend suggests ad-supported options will continue to gain prominence across the streaming landscape.
Netflix’s latest price increases across all plans drew broadly positive notes from analysts, who say the moves fit the historical cadence and should drive double-digit revenue growth in 2026, aided by the ad-supported tier; the stock ticked higher in early trading, though some warn churn could rise if more subscribers downgrade to cheaper options as Netflix accelerates ad revenue.
Netflix raises prices again, increasing monthly rates across plans and adding fees for extra members. The standard plan with ads is now $8.99, standard $19.99, premium $26.99, with extra member fees of $7.99 (ads) or $9.99 (no ads). Existing members will be notified in the coming weeks, while new members see the new prices first; this is Netflix’s second price hike in two years as it expands live programming and podcasts.
Netflix raises prices across its plans: the ad-supported standard increases to $8.99, the standard without ads to $19.99, and the premium to $26.99, marking the second hike in just over a year. The company says the moves will fund more quality content and improvements as it expands into podcasts, live events and games, while Deloitte data show households spend about $69 monthly on streaming and two-thirds opt for ad-supported options.
Netflix is raising prices on all subscription tiers in the US, with the ad-supported Standard plan going from $8 to $9, the ad-free plan from $18 to $20, and the Premium plan from $25 to $27. Adding another member now costs $8 on the ad-supported plan or $10 on the ad-free plan. The changes will roll out to current subscribers in the coming weeks, and existing members will be emailed about the price updates ahead of the switch.
The Verge reports that free-TV startup Telly has only 35,000 TVs in people’s homes (28,000 in the field last quarter) after promising to ship 500,000 units, with plans to ramp up by ordering 100,000 more from Foxconn. The rollout has been plagued by damaged shipments—FedEx breakage was about 10% before switching to RXO—leading the company to rethink logistics. Telly has raised roughly $350 million in debt and, despite indications of more than $50 in advertising revenue per unit per month (hinting at strong ARPU relative to rivals), scaling the hardware and distribution remains the core hurdle for turning the concept into a sustainable business.
Microsoft is reportedly planning an ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming tier that would let users stream owned games without a Game Pass subscription. Evidence includes load-screen references to 'ad-supported playtime' and reporting from Windows Central and The Verge; an official launch date hasn’t been announced, but insiders say it could arrive this year.