6 Streaming Services With Ad-Supported Tiers
Reading Time: 5 minutesIf you don’t want to spend a lot of money, these streaming services offer more affordable tiers in exchange for watching ads.
After years and years of complaining about how many ads we saw on cable TV and seeing streaming as our ad-free alternative, it seems that ad-supported tiers are growing in popularity. We’ve come full circle.
In fact, almost most of our favorite streaming services now offer ad-supported tiers in an effort to still offer content at a lower price. As the streaming market becomes more and more segmented and the ads abound, some people see very few differences between the internet-age platforms and the old cable networks.
Why Ad-Supported Tiers Are All the Rage
The main reason why ad-supported tiers are so popular is that they are cheaper than regular ones. You watch ads but pay less, while the streaming platform makes a lot more money off of you than it would if you paid for a subscription.
While many prefer to watch their shows and movies without interruptions, others would rather pay less.
As annoying as ads can be, there are so many streaming platforms nowadays, each offering its own collection of shows and movies that we want to watch. Subscribing to all of them can be quite pricey, so cutting costs whenever possible is the best option for many people.
There are also plenty of free video streaming services that rely solely on advertising to survive. With millions of people using these services, it’s clear that there’s a market.
The Best Streaming Services With Ad-Supported Tiers
A few streaming services feature ad-supported tiers, but we’ve focused on the seven biggest platforms out there. We’re going to take a look into what each of these offers.
1. Netflix
We’re kicking off this list with Netflix because this is the platform that gave us whiplash going between ‘there will be no ad-supported tier’ and ‘we’re launching an ad-supported tier’ within weeks. As a way to combat a massive drop in numbers, Netflix has decided that there’s no harm in bringing in a cheaper plan while making some cash off of every ad people watch.
Netflix’s Basic with Ads plan costs $6.99/month at Netflix, which is actually a good price when compared to the discount other services are offering for their similar plans. The Netflix Standard plan, for comparison, costs $15.49/month. The video quality for the Basic with Ads plan is capped at 720p, which isn’t that great in this day and age, but it’s acceptable. You can watch content on TVs, computers, and mobile devices, but you cannot download any content for offline viewing.
However, what you should know about Netflix’s Basic with Ads is that you can only watch content on one device at a time, so there won’t be any account sharing, even within your own home. Moreover, you don’t have access to the entire Netflix library. According to a report by What’s on Netflix, over 300 titles are missing at the time of this writing.
2. Disney+
Disney+ is a platform that had immediate success and continues to gain subscribers all over the world. Disney+ announced that it would be introducing a new ad-supported tier, something they ultimately did in December 2022.
Called Disney+ Basic, Disney’s ad-supported plan costs $6.99 for the first three months and $7.99/month thereafter. Whether or not it’s worth saving a few bucks every month with Disney’s ad-supported plan is up to you. For reference, the ad-free plan costs $10.99/month.
You’ll still get access to the same content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, but you won’t be able to download content to watch offline.
There are also some bundles available. For instance, Duo Basic with Ads features Disney+ and Hulu and costs $9.99/month, while Trio Basic with Ads costs $12.99/month and also includes ESPN+.
3. Hulu
We were just talking about Hulu, so we’ll continue with it. The ad-supported tier costs $7.99/month, while the ad-free tier goes for $14.99/month. Both tiers get access to the full streaming library, Hulu originals, and two simultaneous streams. Ad-free subscribers can also download Hulu shows to watch offline.
Hulu is owned by The Walt Disney Company and NBCUniversal and provides content from a lot of networks, including ABC, NBC, FX Network, Fox, Adult Swim, IFC, AMC, BBC America, Freeform, TV Land, and others.
Those who want Hulu can also choose the Live TV bundle that includes access to over 75 channels, Hulu’s on-demand library, Disney+, ESPN+, unlimited DVR storage space, and the possibility to add premium networks like Showtime or Starz. You can also pay for unlimited screens, pushing the number from two to as many as you want while at home and three devices when on the go.
4. Discovery+
Next up, we have Discovery+, a service that costs $4.99/month if you want to watch some ads, and $6.99/month for the ad-free option. Subscribers can watch the same content, but the ad-supported plan doesn’t allow offline viewing. There’s a seven-day free plan for both of these plans.
Content streamed on Discovery+ is either an original show, documentary, or movie or comes from networks that belong to Warner Bros. Discovery: HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, OWN, Discovery, Magnolia Network, A&E, Lifetime, History, Travel Channel, Science Channel, and more.
5. Paramount+
There are many reasons to subscribe to Paramount+, and its add-supported plan is one of them. The ad-free service costs $4.99/month, while the ad-free one costs $9.99/month. They both provide access to the same content, except for the CBS local live stream that only comes with the ad-free plan. Furthermore, the ad-free tier also lets users download content to watch offline.
The service comes with a lot of original shows and movies from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel. We should also note that Paramount+ subscribers get access to all Paramount titles, even those that have barely left the cinemas.
6. HBO Max
The list ends with HBO Max, a service that has undergone a ton of name changes over the years, going from HBO Go to HBO Now and finally to HBO Max. HBO Max introduced an ad-supported tier in 2021, pricing it at $9.99/month, down from the regular $15.99/month for the ad-free tier.
While both tiers have access to the same content, those who pay the full price are allowed to download content and watch it offline. Furthermore, they can watch content in 4K UHD when available.
HBO Max creates a ton of original shows and movies but also provides content from third-party providers like Boomerang, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, Crunchyroll, The CW, DC Entertainment, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and loads more.
Save More Money by Watching Ads
These are the best streaming services you can find online, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Whether or not ad-supported tiers are something you’re interested in, there’s no doubt they’re here to stay. Since each service features a show or two we like, it makes sense to go for the ad-supported tiers for at least some of these platforms.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/streaming-services-with-ad-supported-tiers/
Ref: makeuseof
MediaDownloader.net -> Free Online Video Downloader, Download Any Video From YouTube, VK, Vimeo, Twitter, Twitch, Tumblr, Tiktok, Telegram, TED, Streamable, Soundcloud, Snapchat, Share, Rumble, Reddit, PuhuTV, Pinterest, Periscope, Ok.ru, MxTakatak, Mixcloud, Mashable, LinkedIn, Likee, Kwai, Izlesene, Instagram, Imgur, IMDB, Ifunny, Gaana, Flickr, Febspot, Facebook, ESPN, Douyin, Dailymotion, Buzzfeed, BluTV, Blogger, Bitchute, Bilibili, Bandcamp, Akıllı, 9GAG