TechCrunch
Netflix to introduce ad-supported plans in a major shift
Netflix plans to offer cheaper, ad-supported tiers to consumers over the next year or two, the world’s largest on-demand video streaming service said Tuesday, as it looks to boost its subscriber base amid stiffer competition from rival firms. The firm, which reported a loss of 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter, will introduce the ad-supported plans to give customers more choice, company co-chief executive Reed Hastings said on an earnings call. The upcoming ad-supported plans will mark a major shift in how Netflix has previously viewed advertisements in its 25-year history, in which it has amassed almost 222 million paying customers.
