What You Need To Know About Netflix’s Ads Tier Feature

At $7 per month, the Netflix Ads Tier is ideal for someone looking to save money while still having basic access to the service.

By Trista Sobeck | Updated

It’s been an interesting year for Netflix as it begins to roll out its Netflix Ads Tier feature. As rumors of a recession continue to swirl and folks across the nation try to save as much as possible, the media giant started losing subscribers. But, according to reports, it bounced back.

But is the new Netflix Ads Tier feature worth it? According to CNET, the answer is “probably.” As Hulu, Peacock, and now Disney + have all added, or started with, a commercial-every-now-and-then model, many folks are just used to the break every now and then.

And, when it comes to saving money, The Netflix Ads Tier is a true saver. We’ve all learned that having Netflix is just more convenient, safer, and cheaper than going to the movies, our new consumer behavior would just be horrified if we got rid of our Netflix and chill, relax, enjoy, and sleep habit. 

Netflix has become so ingrained in our lives that even movie theaters are partnering with the media mogul to run its original movies—in an actual movie theater! How’s that for a game-changer? It’s true, this is the very definition of disruption. Therefore, a huge portion of its audience will not mind the Netflix Ads Tier feature.

But what is the Netflix Ads Tier feature and how often will it disrupt our shows? And, before you start messing with your subscription, there’s one huge drawback. Some shows are restricted on the bottom-most inexpensive tier. Hmph! 

The Nexflix Ads Tier feature is broken out thusly: For $7 a month; you get content, one stream at a time, and the commercials. And more than 200 titles are unavailable to you and show a lock symbol. The brand says this is due to licensing restrictions. 

This gives you content in 720p resolution and HD, one stream at a time, and commercials. It’s essentially the same as the $10 Basic plan, except you can’t download anything and you don’t have access to Netflix’s full catalog. You read that right. 

netflix ads tier

Once you click on it, you get a prompt to upgrade to the $10 plan. Is this just a marketing come on or is Netflix really looking to help save you money? You be the judge, but for some viewing habits, it may actually be good savings. 

In addition, Netflix has reportedly said it is trying to fix this issue so what’s not available now, may very well be available in the future. So, cool your jets before you write the Netflix Tier feature off as being not for you. 

Now, when you create a Kid’s profile or if it is created for you, those shows will not have commercials. Thank you, Netflix for not trying to sell to our children. This is either a show of goodwill or more possibly, it would be on the fringes of illegal in the US. 

The good news is that ad breaks do vary in length and have yellow dots in the progress bar so you can see what’s coming up. Maybe it’s nice to have a break while you’re binging the Jeffrey Dahmer biopic. You probably need it. 

After the $7 tier, you can then choose the $10 tier which does have commercials, however, they seem to be focused on products of higher value. And, the entire library is available to you. Seems like maybe the middle-of-the-road choice would be to try it out for a while and enjoy the savings. Then you can go to Walmart to spend some of that savings on some fun merch. Suddenly, you’re winning! So, check out the Netflix Ads Tier feature before you say no way. You’ll probably adjust quite nicely!