this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2024
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Netflix, once a pioneer of ad-free viewing that offered a break from traditional TV norms, is now contemplating launching free ad-supported versions of its service in markets like Europe and Asia, Bloomberg reported.

The plans to offer a free ad-supported tier, albeit in select markets, suggests that pivot towards monetizing user data, in other words — making users and not the extensive library of award-winning shows a product, might be well in the pipeline.

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[–] [email protected] 415 points 5 months ago (16 children)

the ads are minimally intrusive — that is, highly relevant and engaging — they should not detract from the overall user experience

In what universe do ads, no matter how "relevant and engaging", ever not detract from the overall experience?

[–] [email protected] 291 points 5 months ago (10 children)

I've been watching Monk recently, without ads, and it's very interesting how television shows used to be written and edited for commercials. It's dead obvious where the commercials used to be, and even that detracts from the overall experience.

[–] [email protected] 139 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (11 children)

Some shows we've watched spend their time "recapping" after the 'ad breaks", playing same scenes we just saw. Drives me nuts, wastes my time and feels so dated.

[–] [email protected] 57 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Monk doesn't go that far, and it's still obvious. "Here's a joke before commercial!" Pause. Fade back in to a new scene. Pause. "Here's a little cliffhanger before commercial!" Pause. Fade back in to a new scene. Pause.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago (9 children)

I always thought it would be a nice addition to piracy for a release group to edit a version of shows that cuts the recaps and makes a more unified episode. I would totally only ever download their releases.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Same, been watching Dead Like Me and Xena: Warrior Princess and it's pretty distracting when it happens.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (4 children)

we were not the customers... we were the product lol...

yeah it hurts, so let's stop allowing ads into our lives as much as possible..

the fact that netflix wants to offer it for free is telling what their core business is turning into...

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Futurama had some jokes based around the commercial break times.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Its painfully obvious when watching Star Trek TNG.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago (7 children)

I hate ads, but sometimes prime puts 2 minutes of ads at the beginning of a show or a movie and then no ads, I'm ok-ish with this, much better than imdb or tubi that play the same commercial every 15 minutes

If I start a stream and it shows that it will have several breaks I stop it and get it from the high seas

[–] [email protected] 36 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I would be fine with that if it was free and didn't reply the ads if I stop and resume.

If I am paying money, then ads are unacceptable.

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[–] [email protected] 125 points 5 months ago (5 children)

I just wish they could bundle all the subscriptions into packages or bundles and I could watch the shows at pre-determined times.

[–] [email protected] 93 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Stop it. Executives don't understand sarcasm and you've doomed us all!

[–] [email protected] 43 points 5 months ago

It's okay.

Executives got were they are by being smart and making good decisions, not by listening to idiots on the internet.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago (1 children)

They could even provide an electronic box (for a nominal fee, or course) that shows me a menu of all the shows and movies that are available and what times they are going to play. That way I wouldn't have to search through a bunch of streaming services. It could all just be in one place.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago

Why not sell a book that has that information at grocery stores?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Maybe they could add some kind of auto scrolling view that informs what is playing at those times? That'd be handy, sometimes I can't find anything to watch.

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[–] [email protected] 119 points 5 months ago (4 children)

Tech bros reinvent broadcast TV.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 5 months ago (6 children)

Told people this years ago when pewdie pie became a millionaire selling ads. Like that was the time to wake up and hate every single one of these content creators for selling out and making the internet the hellscape this is. But no we Revere and emulate these people.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (13 children)

This is a bit unnecessarily tough on independent content creators... what exactly do you expect them to do? Make no money from their content? How would they be able to make a living?

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[–] [email protected] 105 points 5 months ago (2 children)

There's no better ad for piracy than the greed of corporations. Don't let ads shit in your head. They disrespect you, you disrespect them.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I have hardware dedicated to blocking ads on my home network.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 months ago (6 children)

That will only go so far unfortunately. And network level ad blocking won’t protect you from their ads if they’re served from the same servers the content is.

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[–] [email protected] 99 points 5 months ago (1 children)

This is step 86 in the plan. Step 87 is make people pay for the previously free service

[–] [email protected] 30 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Didn't they already had a paid and with ads tier?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 5 months ago

Yeah but now the roped in new suckers that didn't know they need the product and the price is now 10 per month

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[–] [email protected] 63 points 5 months ago

"The enshittifucation will continue until profits improve." --CEOs of Publicly Traded Companies

[–] MajorHavoc 60 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (5 children)

I'll take "Organizations that made it to the top by doing something different, only to fall under leadership that doesn't understand what made them successful and descend into ruins" for 200, Alex.

Seriously, Jeopardy team - this is a rich category:

  • Netflix advertisements.
  • Zoom mandates staff return to offices.
  • Microsoft forgets what the "P" in "PC" stands for.
  • Toys R Us implements a shitty holiday gift returns policy.
  • Sears decides to sacrifice reputation for quarterly stock price gains.
  • Walgreens decides bottom-of-the-barrel incompetent pharmacists can uphold their "get it all done in one visit" secret sauce.
  • Radio Shack decides that once-every-two-years cellphone contract sales are the future for holding passionate electronics hobbyists' loyalty.
[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (10 children)

Netflix can't do what got them to the top.

Fuck everything about the changes they've made for the last several years, but they were always going to hit a wall when content owners put their content on their own platforms.

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[–] [email protected] 56 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's almost like all these CEOs and MBAs are just shooting in the dark because of the $$$ in their eyes, but the fact remains that the market is no longer responding favorably to their absolute need for year-over-year growth.

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[–] [email protected] 52 points 5 months ago (1 children)

"Free ad-supported" makes you no different than a hundred other garbage-tier streaming services.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago (1 children)

And in 2 years they'll move to 3 tiers, free with ads, paid with slightly less ads and even more expensive than before but no ads...

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 months ago (2 children)

And eventually they’ll just pull the no ads version altogether.

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[–] [email protected] 48 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If they aren't going to charge for access otherwise then I don't think being ad supported is such a bad thing. Much more honest than subscription pricing and ads in my opinion.

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 5 months ago (7 children)
[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago (2 children)

There is one benefit, at least for now. You aren't locked into long term contracts like cable has/had.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Imo that's pretty much the only benefit these days. But I'm also waiting for those 1 year, 2 year, etc "deals" where they offer $1/mo off or something

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 5 months ago

The advertising ouroboros continues to devour itself

[–] [email protected] 35 points 5 months ago (1 children)

They will still be selling user data whether you opt for the ad supported tier or not, so get used to that.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 months ago

If they haven't been doing so for at least a decade, I'm sure their shareholders will want to know why not.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 5 months ago (4 children)

My Plex share doesn't care lol

The way the industry is pulling the screws tighter and tighter is just ugly to watch, and it's hard not to be caught out.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 5 months ago

Enshittification? ✔️

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago

I won't support any streaming service that has a sub+ad tier. Ads with no sub or sub no ads, anything else is incredibly greedy and the same as cable TV.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (5 children)

Life is stupid. What are we even DOING here???

[–] [email protected] 23 points 5 months ago

Building shareholder value, duh.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Do it!
Ill cut subscription to free tier let adblockers do the rest. Profit.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (4 children)

Doesn't this already exist or did I imagine it?

I thought they introduced it years ago

Edit: oh I read again, this time it's free

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