Netflix is planning to roll out less expensive plans supported by advertising, finally joining other streamers who already offer cheaper plans with ads.
Per the Hollywood Reporter, Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings revealed the move on the company’s quarterly earnings call Tuesday (April 19), adding that the company will be examining what those plans will look like “over the next year or two.” Netflix COO Greg Peters said that advertising “is an exciting opportunity for us.”
“Those who have followed Netflix know that I have been against the complexity of advertising, and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription,” Hastings said. “But as much as I am a fan of that, I am a bigger fan of consumer choice. And allowing consumers who would like to have a lower price, and are advertising-tolerant, get what they want, makes a lot of sense.”
Hastings said that the competitors embracing lower-priced subscriptions with ads played a role in changing the company’s mind. “It is pretty clear that it is working for Hulu, Disney is doing it, HBO did it. We don’t have any doubt that it works,” Hastings said, adding that it will be a plan similar to Hulu's. Hastings also said that when Netflix launches its ad-backed tier, it won't track data, which some of their streaming competitors do. “In terms of the profit potential, definitely the online ad market has advanced, and now you don’t have to incorporate all the information about people that you used to,” Hastings said. “We can stay out of that, and really be focused on our members, creating that great experience.”
Netflix's decision to finally embrace advertising comes after their long resistance to the plan since its beginning, but with the streamer's subscriber growth slowing and now declining, the pressure to bring new users has become too great to ignore.
Every holiday usually has some sort of activity attached to it. While 4/20’s activity is obvious, a movie marathon should definitely be added to the agenda.
In honor of this literal high holiday, here are nine films you should binge.
Friday
A stoner classic that hasn’t aged a bit.
Half Baked
They’re not drug dealers; they’re fundraisers.
Pineapple Express
The entire cast is incredible, but Danny McBride steals the show.
Reefer Madness
Sure, it was meant as a cautionary tale when it was released in 1936, but it’s hard to watch this classic now without laughing hysterically.
Dazed and Confused
There are only three words to describe this iconic Richard Linklater film: Alright, alright, alright.
Up In Smoke
If someone writes a list about stoner movies, and a Cheech and Chong film isn’t on the list, does the list even exist? The answer is “no.”
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
Obviously, John Cho and Kal Penn deliver outstanding comedic performances, but is there a better actor playing himself in a cameo than Neil Patrick Harris as “Neil Patrick Harris?”
How High
Magic weed gets Method Man and Redman accepted to Harvard. Hilarity ensues and gives new meaning to the phrase “higher learning.”
The Big Lebowski
In addition to lighting up, fix yourself a White Russian (or two or four) as well.
