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Ad-supported Netflix plan now available on Apple TV

A smart television set running the Netflix application.
A smart television set running the Netflix application. (Stock image via Pixabay, Graphic by The Desk)

A cheaper version of Netflix’s streaming television service is now available to users of Apple TV hardware, the company confirmed on Thursday.

The plan, called Netflix with Ads, was introduced last November at a cost of $7 per month and was designed to offer streamers a cheaper option compared to Netflix’s base subscription plan ($15.50 a month).

When the plan launched on November 3, it was supported by a wide number of streaming devices, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV (Google TV), as well as Android and Apple smartphones and tablets.

At launch, a Netflix spokesperson confirmed users of some other devices, including Apple TV, would not be able to access Netflix with Ads, but affirmed support for those devices was “coming soon.” The company offered no timetable on when Netflix with Ads would be available to streamers who couldn’t immediately access it.

This week, Netflix quietly pushed an update to its Apple TV app, finally allowing users of that device to subscribe and stream the Netflix with Ads plan. The move was first spotted by a contributor on the social media platform Reddit and later confirmed by the company itself.

Netflix with Ads still isn’t available on Google’s Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra streaming devices, and it isn’t clear when or if that hardware will be supported. Google stopped selling the Chromecast pucks last year after introducing the HD version of its Chromecast with Google TV device, which does support Netflix with Ads.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys covers the business of broadcast and streaming TV, radio broadcasting, social media, technology and telecommunications. A journalist for over 15 years, Matthew previously worked at Thomson Reuters, KGO-TV in San Francisco, KTXL in Sacramento and McNaughton Newspapers. He received 9 California Journalism Awards between 2018 and 2020, and is a member of IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors).
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