Netflix has announced that its ad-supported tier has more than doubled its monthly viewerbase for the second consecutive year. During its 2026 upfront presentation, the streaming service revealed that its $8.99-per-month plan now reaches over 250 million people globally - a massive leap from the 94 million users reported last year. That's a lot of people willing to sit through commercials to save a few bucks, which is basically the business model of network TV, but with better originals.
The company reported earning $1.5 billion from ads in 2025, and naturally, it's looking for more places to shove them. Starting next year, Netflix will insert ads into its newly launched vertical video feed on mobile and into the podcasts it began adding to the platform late last year. Because nothing says "premium streaming experience" like a commercial break during your true-crime podcast.
Netflix first introduced its ad-supported Basic tier in 2022, and since then, it has not only grown its subscriber count but also its price. The Basic plan has been included in recent price hikes, now costing $2 more than its original $6.99 launch price. So you're paying more to watch ads - truly the streaming equivalent of paying for the privilege of being marketed to.
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, citing the ad-supported plan and claiming the company misled subscribers about the data it collects for targeting ads. Because if there's one thing Texans hate, it's being tracked while watching "Squid Game."
Netflix is also expanding its ad-supported tier to 15 new countries, including Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand. The service is additionally testing a personalization tool that adjusts ads "based on viewing behaviors." So get ready for commercials that know you binged an entire season of reality TV in one sitting.