Netflix recently introduced its new budget plan for just €5.49 per month. That sounds very appealing, but behind this attractive price are some limitations. The main one is the inclusion of ads. The platform estimates that users will see an average of about 4 minutes of ads per hour of viewing.
For anyone thinking they might find a way to skip the ads, we tell you right now that there isn’t one: ads cannot be skipped and can only be paused. In any case, the platform also reminds users that their subscription plan can be changed or canceled at any time.
This new “more” basic plan, priced €2.50 cheaper, sits just below Netflix’s basic plan, which mainly differs by not including ads and allowing HD streaming without ads and content downloads on a compatible device. In contrast, the new super-budget plan comes with 3 main limitations. Let’s break them down.
1.- 4 minutes of ads per hour of viewing
The company has confirmed that about 4 minutes of ads per hour of viewing will be shown, which cannot be skipped or fast-forwarded. It doesn’t matter what type of content we’re watching, series or movies, ads will appear in all formats. At least, Netflix assures that this plan includes a set of controls for advertisers to reach the right audience profile while ensuring the ads are relevant to consumers.
With all this, the subscription plans currently available on Netflix are as follows:
2.- Series and movies that are excluded
Another limitation Netflix places on this new plan is the selection of series and movies. The platform has published a list of content that will not be available to subscribers of this plan. Specifically, these are:
- Arrested Development
- The Good Place
- Grey’s Anatomy
- House of Cards
- New Girl
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- The Office
- The Wolf of Wall Street
- Vikings
- Sicario
- Scarface
The list is expected to grow as new titles arrive on Netflix.
3.- You won’t be able to download content for offline viewing
The basic plan with ads does not allow users to download content to watch offline later, unlike the basic plan (which only allows downloads on one compatible device). Also, the ability to watch content in HD resolution will only be available on one device at a time.
The new Netflix paid plan limits playback to certain devices. Among those excluded are Chromecast systems, so it won’t allow casting content to a TV monitor unless you have Google TV. The plan also cannot be used on Apple TV devices. Below is the device compatibility limitation for this plan:
- Android devices. Android 7 or higher.
- iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. iOS 15, iPadOS 15 or higher.
- PlayStation. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
- Xbox. No compatibility issues.
- Amazon Fire TV. No compatibility issues.
- Smart TVs. Some older and outdated devices may have compatibility issues.
It seems the door is open for the platform, and this approach may also be adapted by some of its main competitors who are already raising prices, like Disney+, or launching ad-supported plans, like HBO.
