Ian Patrick, FISM News
Netflix joins a roster of other streaming services with its new ad-supported subscription plan that may appeal to viewers wanting a cheaper option. However, some content will be unavailable with this cheaper version as well.
On November 3, Netflix rolled out its “Basic with ads Plan,” a $7 per-month alternative to its normal $10 ad-free subscription plan.
The Basic with ads Plan shows around 4 minutes worth of potentially personalized ads either before or during a show or movie. The ads will repeat every hour and can vary based on the program.
While the cheaper plan may be appealing – especially compared to its most expensive Premium subscription at $19.99/month – unfortunately the ad-supported plan doesn’t allow a subscriber to view everything on Netflix.
The streaming giant has not released a list of movies and TV shows that fall under this category, but CNet did some digging and found quite a few of the titles that are unavailable to Basic with ads Plan subscribers.
Notable TV shows not watchable in the Basic with ads Plan include Arrested Development, Peaky Blinders, The Crown, New Girl, The Last Kingdom, and Friday Night Lights, among others.
CNet also found four movies that cannot be viewed under the plan: Skyfall, 28 Days, The Imitation Game, and The Bad Guys.
The reason that these titles are not able to viewed, according to Netflix, is due to “licensing restrictions.” Any such titles will have a padlock on them to show that it cannot be viewed in the subscription.
Netflix does not have any plans to increase the costs of its other subscriptions at the moment.