Netflix has finally rolled out its ad-supported plan, although it won’t be free like many users may have hoped.
Netflix has been looking for ways to jumpstart subscriber growth, with an ad-supported tier being one of the company’s biggest bets. According to CNN, the company is officially launching its ad-supported tier Thursday.
The new plan will cost $6.99 per month in the US. The plan will also launch simultaneously in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, and the UK.
Right out of the gate, Netflix is assuring potential advertisers that their values will be respected in an attempt to avoid many of the issues that have plagued other ad-supported platforms.
“Advertisers will also be able to prevent their ads from appearing on content that might be inconsistent with their brand (e.g. sex, nudity or graphic violence),” Netflix said.
“While it’s still very early days, we’re pleased with the interest from both consumers and the advertising community — and couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead,” the company added. “As we learn from and improve the experience, we expect to launch in more countries over time.”
The company’s plans will also be a big factor for Microsoft, the company Netflix partnered with to build its ads platform. Microsoft went all-in on its Netflix proposal in a successful effort to beat out Google and Comcast.