Netflix offers downloads to its ad-tier subscribers

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Netflix, one of the world’s top streaming platforms, is having quite a year after the success of its password-sharing crackdown. 

The streaming platform expanded its game streaming beta to the United States and recently increased the prices of its Basic and Premium subscription plans in several countries. 

Now, the company has revealed its plans to introduce the download feature to its low-priced ad-supported plan.

Netflix is the first to introduce the “Download” function in ad-tier 

Netflix introduced its ad-supported plan a year ago. While the company is moving to add new features to the platform, in a blog post published today, the streamer has revealed that it wants subscribers to be able to download shows and movies.

According to Netflix, the company plans to give its ad-tier subscribers the ability to download shows and movies by the end of this week. Users will also see fewer ads, which sounds fantastic.

The company also claims it will be the world’s first streaming service to offer this function to its ad-tier subscribers.

Fewer ads are something to look forward to, but that’s not all the streaming service is planning.

In addition to the download function and fewer ads, the company plans to introduce a new “Binge Ad” format at the beginning of next year.

In this new format, if a user watches three consecutive episodes of a show in a row, the “Binge Ad” format will kick off and allow the user to see the fourth episode without any advertisements. 

While these features are welcome changes, the company probably intends to annoy you in different ways. 

The streaming company is also planning to expand its title sponsorships–meaning you will see more preroll ads.

Netflix also added the ability to run 10, 20, and even 60-second ads globally. The prior options for advertisers were ads of 15 or 30 seconds in length.

The other new change is a welcome one: an upgrade to 1080p content quality for subscribers on the ads plans. It doesn’t quite make up for ads, but it’s a start.

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