Netflix's new ad-supported plan suddenly sounds very appealing

The Netflix resurgence continues. Following on from landing a series of critical hits with its recently released content, we've now got some very appealing news regarding the streaming giant's new ad-supported subscription plan.

That's because, as reported by Bloomberg, Netflix is considering launching its ad-supported plan at half the price of a standard subscription.

According to the report, Netflix "is considering pricing its new advertising-supported tier at $7 to $9 a month, half as much as its current, most-popular plan, which costs $15.49 monthly with no commercials."

This means that current Netflix subscribers could cut their monthly streaming bill in half by switching plans, saving potentially over $100 a year.

Right now only US pricing is mentioned, but it is widely anticipated that Netflix's cheaper ad-supported plan will also launch in the UK as well as many other territories, too.

This good news comes about a week after it was confirmed that the ad-supported subscription tier won't be stuffed with adverts, either. According to reports, Netflix won't play adverts on content for children, while this new report mentions the streamer intends to sell "about four minutes of commercials per hour" for the ad-supported plan.

The T3 take: half price heaven

Here at T3 we think this new ad-supported plan actually sounds really very appealing now.

A half price bill cut obviously would be very welcome, while under four minutes of adverts per hour sounds really reasonable, too.

Let's be clear, here, four minutes per hour is nowhere near the 20 minutes per hour that we've all become begrudgingly accustomed to on satellite TV, and the idea that children wouldn't have adverts shown to them at all on kids' content just sounds respectful.

As a father myself I am very well aware of the ludicrous amounts of adverts that network and advertising executives want to expose children to and, in my opinion, it is unhealthy in its current state. So advert free Netflix for kids, even on an ad-supported plan, is something Netflix deserves a big hat tip for.

Of course, what is reported and what actually happens are different things, so I'll be watching eagerly to see if these prices and ad unit figures remain accurate when the ad-supported plan launches. 

Here's hoping Netflix can deliver, though, as it could help out a lot of people around the world to reduce their streaming costs while continuing to enjoy top Netflix show's like The Sandman.