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Cheaper Apple TV+ With Ads Plan a Possibility, Recent Job Hires Suggest
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My goodness, does everything HAVE to be ad supported? It's a pay service right now, if we're paying for a service like this there should be no ads. They're a multi-trillion dollar company, for goodness sake.
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I think you're right that they may be gearing up for another set of price hikes. The thing though is that right now they may still be getting away with subscriber growth because of the password-sharing crackdown, but I strongly suspect the current price levels are close to the maximum of what people are willing to pay. And while they might think that if push comes to shove, people on the 4K tier may switch to the standard tier, but for me personally, I was simply never willing to accept 1080p streaming on a 4K OLED screen, so I went from being permanently subscribed to only subscribing when a particular show I like is running.
Unfortunately for Netflix, I'm getting less and less vested with their shows, so it's getting easier and easier for me not to resubscribe. The two shows left on Netflix I'd subscribe for are Stranger Things and Witcher, but now that Witcher has got so bad (and Henry Cavill has left) I won't resubscribe for that, leaving only Stranger Things that has one season left, so I may well be permanently done with Netflix, and it's not like they've got "Marvel" or some huge IP I'm already vested in, to pull me back.
They still do have low prices especially compared to the early decades of premium channels. For example, ad-free Max is $15.99/month while HBO with less content, no on-demand functionality, etc. 40 or so years ago was around twice that after adjusting for inflation. The Max with ads plan is even less at $9.99/month. You also aren't as "locked in" with today's streaming services as you may have been with premium channels decades ago which required cable/satellite TV plans, potential "installation" costs, special box, etc.
Not exactly. You can still get ad-free plans. This is giving subscribers a choice, and even ad-free plans are still less to a lot less (at least after adjusting for inflation) than what premium channels used to cost.
They've really sold you price hikes and even got you to thank them for it, haven't they 😂
Two articles pointing to Apple incorporating ad revenue. This one, and the other about using Ai to target ads on the App Store.
I don't like profits derived from ad revenue, as it's way too variable and subject to economic cycles. Just my opinion that Apple should focus on their proven core competencies and innovate on those platforms instead. Apple's success has always hinged on the interoperability, continuity and quality of their hardware, software and services. Advertising revenue is none of that.
I don't like profits derived from ad revenue, as it's way too variable and subject to economic cycles. Just my opinion that Apple should focus on their proven core competencies and innovate on those platforms instead. Apple's success has always hinged on the interoperability, continuity and quality of their hardware, software and services. Advertising revenue is none of that.
That's how I see it. Large entities are trying convince consumers that they should pay monthly/annual fees "And" still accept ads. Amazon could have just done a price increase on Prime rather than demand 36 dollars a year to those that want ad free content. The logical reason is they want the culture to move towards a la carte services.
Many of us laughed when some grocery chains went to "bag your own groceries and save money" now we're bagging our own groceries and paying more for produce and food items than we ever have. The checkers are long gone and the companies no longer have to pay salaries and benefits (which not so ironically are a companies biggest cost)
I'm not a Marxist, I swear, but Karl was right as rain when wrote about the abuse coming from the top.
No one has "sold" me anything. I am simply pointing out that this will give subscribers a CHOICE and even ad-free plans are still a lot cheaper (at least after adjusting for inflation) than what premium channels used to cost decades ago. I think too many people became spoiled by low entertainment viewing prices/costs e.g., premium streaming services, televisions, etc.
i have started the same with all but apple TV services. None of them seem have enough new content to stay subscribed.
Okay, replace "sold" with "convinced you it's a good thing" and I still stand by what I said. What you've done here is accept, justify it, AND call average consumers spoiled. That's like a capitalist's dream, and you won't catch me cheering for corporations lowering the spending power of my money or reducing the value of the product by turning me into the product.
Agreed
The fact that all these streamers are giving us the short end of the stick and having the audacity to make us pay for ads is just lunacy
Price hike for us on what is now an ad-free tier coming in 3, 2 1...
Yet another conformation that NOTHING is free. NOTHING! An Amazon Prime subscription used to include free movies from the Prime Video libraries. Now these videos contain what Amazon calls “limited” ads and you must ay an additional $2.99/mo to get rids of those “limited” ads. Amazon now also has Freeverse video they claim are FREE (but with ads).
Apple TV+ may just be following the market but like many here, I refuse to pay a subscription and be hassled with ads to boot. The “cut the cord” movement is dying and we all know it. I pay $15/mo for HBO in my Spectrum Cable TV subscription and it’s cheaper than the app (not 4K and 5.1 only though).
Apple TV+ may just be following the market but like many here, I refuse to pay a subscription and be hassled with ads to boot. The “cut the cord” movement is dying and we all know it. I pay $15/mo for HBO in my Spectrum Cable TV subscription and it’s cheaper than the app (not 4K and 5.1 only though).
Interesting. If they get back in line with other streamers who have more content for less money, then I'll give it another spin. Canceled AppleTV+ after Shrinking wrapped and nothing they have come out with since then has tempted me. The price keeps increasing, but Apple just doesn't have enough content. I pick up Paramount+, Peacock, and Hulu most every Black Friday for around $1.99/mo for a year. But Apple doesn't do sales. It's okay for Apple to charge more than the competition if they think their catalog is premium, but they need a $4.99-6.99 tier if they are going to stop the content churn cycle and make the service sticky.
Again, I was pointing out that subscribers are being given a CHOICE and that even the more expensive ad-free streaming option can still be a lot cheaper (at least after adjusting for inflation) than what premium channels could cost decades ago.
The example I used in another post was HBO/Max. Ad-free Max is $15.99/month while HBO with less content, no on-demand functionality, etc. 40 or so years ago was around twice that after adjusting for inflation. The Max with ads plan is even less at $9.99/month. You also aren't as "locked in" with today's streaming services as you may have been with premium channels decades ago which required cable/satellite TV plans, potential "installation" costs, special box, etc.
netflix was $$9.99 with tons of great original content years ago, now it’s like $24 and rising every year as all these little competitors rise too, it’s not going to end well… and now some are trying to charge based on resolution, which is crazy .
Advertising in modern days is corrupt, corrosive and an anathema to everything noble that you've ever been taught in your life.
Imagine your are 11 years old at school and you're waiting in line for school lunch. Suddenly a classmate walks up and hops in the front of the line. "no cuts!" you yell. The classmate says "I'm paying $2 more for my lunch which entitles me to jump to the front"
This sounds silly but it's what advertisement has become. A fast path to the front of the line regardless of merit. One must take the context and place it in proper context. Advertising is a really good thing when implemented with proper scope and balance. If I like toy trains and I'm on a website about toy trains, the ads that support my hobby are a net positive generally. The corrosion and corruption comes when companies are in an economic bind to the point where they must accept irrelevant or onerous ads.
“Wealth is like sea water; the more we drink, the thirstier we become; and the same is true of fame.”
-Arthur Schopenhauer
Jobs recruited Sculley with this line , “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?
Advertising will not change the world. Jobs was a prick in many areas but he believed fundamentally in the power of computers to greatly impact the world. Apple has always been the company at the intersection of Design and Technology.
Imagine your are 11 years old at school and you're waiting in line for school lunch. Suddenly a classmate walks up and hops in the front of the line. "no cuts!" you yell. The classmate says "I'm paying $2 more for my lunch which entitles me to jump to the front"
This sounds silly but it's what advertisement has become. A fast path to the front of the line regardless of merit. One must take the context and place it in proper context. Advertising is a really good thing when implemented with proper scope and balance. If I like toy trains and I'm on a website about toy trains, the ads that support my hobby are a net positive generally. The corrosion and corruption comes when companies are in an economic bind to the point where they must accept irrelevant or onerous ads.
“Wealth is like sea water; the more we drink, the thirstier we become; and the same is true of fame.”
-Arthur Schopenhauer
Jobs recruited Sculley with this line , “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?
Advertising will not change the world. Jobs was a prick in many areas but he believed fundamentally in the power of computers to greatly impact the world. Apple has always been the company at the intersection of Design and Technology.
Frankly I don't care what prices were when I was barely even born. Those prices obviously weren't viable in the long term or we'd still be paying the inflationary equivalent. It also doesn't affect me as a consumer in today's economy. Customers are certainly being given a choice -- pay more for the same product/service you're currently receiving, or become the product yourself.
Apple is stepping over a line in the sand here and there's no going back. Apple should be the one holdout that does not subject their viewers to choose ads or pay the no-ad ransom. They lose their luxury/lifestyle/aspirational brand value if they do so. And they have so much money and no need to ever cross this line. If they cave in, it's purely shareholder placation.
Apple could be accelerating plans to introduce an ad-supported Apple TV+ tier, based on a number of recent hires by the company.
Business Insider reports that Apple recently recruited Joseph Cady, who worked as an ad executive for NBCUniversal for over 14 years. Cady's focus was on data-driven and targeted advertising, including responsibility for the Comcast subsidiary's partnerships with Amazon, Google, TikTok, and others, according to the report.
Cady is expected to work with Winston Crawford, Apple's head of global ad sales. Apple's TV+ team reports to Crawford, who also helped lead Apple's Major League Soccer ad sales pitch with Todd Teresi, lead of Apple's ads division.
The report also mentions several other recent recruits to Apple's ads team, such as Chandler Taylor (formerly a video ads account manager with Peacock), Jacqueline Bleazey from FanDuel's ad sales team, and Jason Brum, who has worked for DirecTV, NBCUniversal, and more.
Apple has not indicated one way or the other whether an ad-supported tier for TV+ is in the works, but it would make sense given that Netflix, Disney+, and Max all now offer ad-based plans at a discounted price.
Apple increased its TV+ subscription prices in October to $9.99 a month from $6.99 a month, while the annual subscription price increased from $69 per year to $99 per year, so a more affordable option would make sense from a competitive perspective.
Article Link: Cheaper Apple TV+ With Ads Plan a Possibility, Recent Job Hires Suggest
Indeed. Not quite sure why we'd assume that the ad tier would be any cheaper.
Although, so long as there are no adverts on purchased content - I'm ok with this.
The days of paying for months on end are over. I'd be fine paying a bit more for the odd month (and extra to get rid of damned adverts), only for content that I cannot own.
Amazon's recent move to include adverts on Prime has seen me cancel that. And I'll be cancelling Netflix soon anyway as I barely watch it (and only keeping Disney plus because I paid for a year - that can also go when it expires).
Really tired of the bait and switch of streaming services. Constantly bringing people in with low-cost ad-free plans, then slowly start raising the rates and changing the model. It's the classic cable/satellite approach. If you're not confident that you can leave your plans as is, don't start a streaming service. Partner with someone else who's already been doing it.
These companies lost sight of why streaming took off to begin with. Everything was either on Netflix or Hulu. It was convenient to find everything, and the low prices were a big plus. They've largely made it a worse experience for the viewer by splitting the libraries into their own apps/subscriptions, and with how high the prices keep rising. Even ad-based plans have gotten far worse with how many ads are shown (Hulu, for example).
These companies lost sight of why streaming took off to begin with. Everything was either on Netflix or Hulu. It was convenient to find everything, and the low prices were a big plus. They've largely made it a worse experience for the viewer by splitting the libraries into their own apps/subscriptions, and with how high the prices keep rising. Even ad-based plans have gotten far worse with how many ads are shown (Hulu, for example).