Netflix Ad Tier Attracts More Than 70 Million Users

Streaming giant Netflix introduced its ad-supported tier in Australia in November 2022, and has said that the tier now has a subscription user base of more than 70 million globally.

It added that more than 50 per cent of new Netflix sign-ups are for the ads plan in ad-supported countries.

In Australia, an ad-supported subscription costs A$7.99 per month and is significantly cheaper than the Standard ad-free plan which costs A$18.99 per month or the Premium ad-free plan that offers support for four devices simultaneously for A$25.99 each month.

Netflix is beginning to reap the benefits of its ad-supported model across its live streaming as well as pre-recorded shows. It says that it has sold out of all available in-game inventory for the two live games of the NFL live Christmas Day games and it has also partnered with multiple advertisers across 12 ad-supported countries for its Squid Game sequel which will be released on December 26.

The company claims that ad-supported members were also over 3.2x more likely to engage with the ad compared to other CTV services, and 4.5x more likely to engage compared to linear TV.

It has also launched its in-house advertising technology platform that offers clients flexibility and control over their buys. Initially available in Canada, it will be rolled out to other countries including Australia next year.

Netflix says that after launching its programmatic offering in August, it has also enabled programmatic guaranteed buying in select countries, with Australia set to receive that offering in 2025.

The company finished the quarter with 282.7 million subscribers worldwide. The streaming major’s upward streak this year has continued after adding 9.33 million subscribers in the first quarter, and another 8.05 million subscribers in the second quarter.

Sales for the third quarter grew 15 per cent to $9.83 billion (A$14.68 billion). Netflix predicted sales next year will increase between 11-13 per cent to as much as $44 billion (A$65.7 billion) through a mix of new members and price increases.