Basic (standard definition, one screen): $9.99\/monthStandard (high definition, two screens): $12.99\/monthPremium (4K, four screens): $15.99\/month<\/p>\n
Today, those plans cost $17.99, $27.99 and $33.99\/month, following $3 to $6 price increases last year.<\/p>\n
Netflix won\u2019t go the path of Disney+, Amazon\u2019s Prime Video and Sky\u2019s Neon, which have all introduced ads to their cheapest plans in New Zealand, with subscribers asked to pay more for a higher-tier plan if they want to escape them.<\/p>\n
\u201cPricing is TBC but it will be a new, lower-price plan,\u201d a Netflix Australia-New Zealand spokesman said.<\/p>\n
In Australia (and other territories), the Basic plan was initially kept on when the cheaper Basic with Ads was introduced, but eventually phased out as budget-conscious consumers overwhelmingly favoured the ad plan, which Netflix says now accounts for four million \u201cviewers\u201d across the Tasman.<\/p>\n
Globally, it says 60% of new first-quarter sign-ups opted for the ad plan.<\/p>\n
How it will work<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can expect to see a few short ads per hour. We aim to place ads during natural plot breaks for a more seamless experience. You\u2019ll see ads before and during select TV shows and movies. Some newly released movies only have ads before they begin,\u201d Netflix says.<\/p>\n
As with other online services, the ads won\u2019t be skippable.<\/p>\n
Ads won\u2019t display if a viewer is logged on to a profile on Netflix\u2019s \u201cKids\u201d settings.<\/p>\n
The \u2018gotchas\u2019<\/p>\n
Netflix Standard with Ads won\u2019t work on older TVs, Netflix says. <\/p>\n
Another qualifier: most, but not all Netflix content is available on its ad-supported plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the vast majority of TV shows and movies are available on an ad-supported plan, a small number are not due to licensing restrictions,\u201d the streamer says in an article on its help site. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese titles will appear with a lock icon when you search or browse Netflix.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netflix doesn\u2019t have a list of series and movies locked to those on an ad-free plan, but US media it includes<\/a> are marquee titles Peaky Blinders, House of Cards and The Walking Dead. Missing movies include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Equalizer 3.<\/p>\n Across-the-board price increases<\/p>\n All of the global streamers have hiked their pricing ahead of inflation over the past few years, along with Sky TV\u2019s Neon and Sky Sport Now.<\/p>\n Sky cites rising content and other costs. The global players have moved from their early land-grab focus to turning a profit.<\/p>\n Disney+ costs $9.99 per month with ads, with an ad-free Premium Plan costing $21.99 (soon to rise to $25.99).<\/p>\n Prime with ads costs $10.99 per month. There\u2019s an additional $2.99 charge to go ad-free. <\/p>\n Punters also face more damage to their wallet from many big content makers going \u201cdirect-to-consumer\u201d with their own streaming apps.<\/p>\n Disney content that used to be part of a Sky subscription can now only be found through Disney+, while HBO content that used to be a mainstay of Neon\u2019s content will from June only be available via HBO Max (local pricing has yet to be announced, but it\u2019s expected to be in line with its Australian pricing, which runs between A$11.99 and A$21.99 a month).<\/p>\n Meanwhile, sports has fragmented with the rise of global apps for the likes of NBA basketball and Formula One, and even local rights for some sports are being fragmented. Kiwis who follow a top-tier English football team this season were obliged to subscribe to Sky NZ (or Sky Sport Now), DAZN and beIN to follow its games in all competitions.<\/p>\n More competition in a tight ad market<\/p>\n TVNZ, which makes nearly all of its income from ads, reported revenue for the six months to December 31 was $134m \u2013 down 12%<\/a> on the same period last year, with TVNZ+ growing fast, but not fast enough to offset the decline from its broadcast TV business, where ads sell for far more. <\/p>\n