Netflix upgrades Basic With Ads plan with improved video quality and more simultaneous streams

Netflix has announced that it will be upgrading its “Basic With Ads” plan to include better video quality and more simultaneous streams. The announcement was made during the company's Q1 2023 earnings report, which was released on Tuesday.

The Basic With Ads plan was launched in November 2022 for $6.99 per month in the United States. However, the tier was immediately criticized for its limited video streaming resolution. In response, Netflix has decided to increase the video quality of the Basic With Ads tier to 1080p at no extra cost to subscribers. Additionally, it will increase the number of simultaneous streams from one to two.

Netflix says that the ad-supported program has been doing better than the Standard plan, which costs $15.49 per month without ads. The company also stated that it plans to roll out the upgraded plan to other countries gradually. Starting now, the upgraded plan is available to Netflix users in Canada and Spain. After that, it will roll out to the rest of its advertising markets, including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and the US.

The move to upgrade its Basic With Ads plan comes as Netflix looks to expand its subscriber base and increase revenue. The company has been facing increasing competition from other streaming services like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+. By upgrading its Basic With Ads plan, Netflix is hoping to attract more budget-conscious viewers who may be hesitant to pay for the more expensive Standard plan.