Netflix could launch ad-supported plans from November 1

Netflix is set to launch ad-supported plans after its subscriber count went downwards for the first time in years. The new plans are expected to launch in multiple countries and will reportedly go live on November 1, as per a report by Variety. The plans will reportedly first be launched in countries including the US, UK, Canada, France and Germany.

As per a report by CNET, however, the company said in a statement that it is “still in the early days of deciding how to launch a lower priced, ad supported tier,” adding that “no decisions have been made.”

Netflix had previously confirmed that its new ad-supported plans could go live before the end of the year and the new rollout timeline, although not directly confirmed by Netflix yet, seem to be on schedule. A wider rollout for the plans for more countries is expected in 2023, as per a report by Bloomberg.

Netflix will also be looking forward to launching its new plans ahead of rival Disney Plus, which is set to reveal ad-supported plans of its own on December 8, 2022. The reported November 1 date should help Netflix have a month-long advantage for attracting new subscribers with more affordable plans.

Netflix reported its first subscriber loss in a decade, back in April this year. Co-CEO Reed Hastings had then revealed that the company had been considering more affordable, ad-supported plans. This was a big change for the streaming service which had been ad-free for years.

Apart from the new affordable plans, Netflix also aims to start charging users for password-sharing. Password-sharing is where a Netflix user can share his/her ID with a number of other users, who may all pool their resources together for the overall plan. While this is a cheap way to use Netflix officially for many, the act has been hurting the service’s subscriber count for years.