In the early days of streaming everything was promises. Netflix, in fact, even promised that there would never be ads on its platform because that is what differentiated it from other alternatives such as cable (or, well, conventional television), and when in 2016 it presented downloads to watch offline, it was announced that it would always be available in his catalog of originals. But words like “never” and “always” have very short legs.
All ads, none of the downloads
A look at the source code of the application in iOS does not leave many doubts about Netflix’s plans regarding its future cheaper plan (in exchange for eating advertising): “Downloads available on all plans except Netflix with ads”. In addition, Steve Moser, an iOS developer who was messing around with the streamer’s app and came across the percale, also discovered that the player will be hidden during the broadcast of the ads and they cannot be passed.
As much as the company of Reed Hastings and his people try to make the experience of having to see ads not seem like a worse option than the rest, selling it as experience (“Now, let’s prepare your experience with ads”) or promising that it will be fast and soon they will be able to enjoy Netflix, the truth is that the plan is going to have a lot more drawbacks than the rest.
Yes, as my colleague Mikel already anticipated, the streaming companies are going to take advantage of their plans with ads to raise prices and these cheap versions they will be capped of possibilities, it may not be the revival of subscriptions you expect. After all, other streamers like Crunchyroll, Peacock or Pluto TV offer their plan with ads totally free: Is there really a massive user base thinking of paying just to watch their ad-interrupted series? It will be necessary to see if the órdago of the companies is meditated or has been a simple desperate movement. We’re back after the ad.