It’s been a few months since Netflix’s subscriber count did an about-turn, right into the dumpster. The streaming giant reported a loss of 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022. Since then, the company has been flinging a few ideas around to see what sticks. For one, it’s taken a page out of Multichoice’s book and is testing limiting the sharing of passwords. But that doesn’t seem to be going too well.
Now, Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos is reportedly in talks with potential advertisers, including Google and American media company NBC Universal. We’re sure there are more in the shadows.
Are you still watching?
But before you hurriedly cancel your subscription, Sarandos wanted to reassure users. “We’re not adding ads to Netflix as you know it today. We’re adding an ad tier for folks who say ‘hey, I want a lower price and I’ll watch ads’,” he said at the Cannes Lions conference.
Read More: Disney+ is on the way up, just as Netflix takes a little dip
In the grand scheme of things, losing 200,000 subscribers isn’t that big of a deal for Netflix. But the projected loss of a further two million subscribers in Q2 of this year, probably is. And since Disney+ entered the streaming ring, the competition has never been stiffer.
The Mouse Company’s streaming service has also mentioned plans to include an ad-supported tier. With the economy doing a tumble and people generally spending less on entertainment, that’s probably for the best. We just hope that Netflix ads are more tasteful than those unskippable things on YouTube. Otherwise, making friends with your mute button will help keep you from going mad when you’re told about the new Hyundai for the thirtieth time that day.
Source: Reuters