Netflix says its ad-supported tier could launch as early as October

Winter is coming, and so are Netflix ads. The company is inching closer to introducing ads to the streaming service, and they could come as early as the end of 2022, reports the New York Times. 

We previously reported on the company’s plans to bring ads to the streaming platform, but the timeline Netflix floated around gave us the impression that the change would happen gradually, within the next year or two. 

But according to the New York Times, the company told employees in a recent note that the company is fast-tracking its ad-supported tier and could release it in the final three months of the year.

On top of that, sources claim Netflix will begin clamping down on password sharing around the same time. 

READ MORE: Netflix confirms plans to launch an ad-supported tier

READ MORE: Netflix is reportedly making a push to acquire Roku

So why the sudden change of plans? What happened between April and today? Shira Ovide, a technology reporter for the Times, makes a painfully obvious observation via Twitter: “That was fast! Perhaps related to Netflix stock falling 70% over the past six months?”

Ovide nails it right on the nose. Netflix lost a staggering 200,000 subscribers worldwide in its first quarter, and with that, its stock tumbled. Between password sharing and all the money Netflix spends on original content, the costs add up.

And the answer to that? A cheaper ad-supported tier. “Every major streaming company excluding Apple has or has announced an ad-supported service,” the company note to employees said. “For good reason, people want lower-priced options.”

READ MORE: Netflix is losing a ton of long-time subscribers

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Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.