When streaming became widespread for the first time, commercial breaks were obsolete. As other platforms entered the market, some of them, such as Netflix, began launching a cheaper membership tier financed by advertisements. They would save subscribers a few dollars in exchange for watching commercials. Later this year, AMC+ will become the latest streaming service to reduce its monthly subscription cost by incorporating advertisements into its programming.
Although AMC Networks has not yet provided many specifics regarding its upcoming subscription offering, the company has stated in a press release that it will be accessible to customers in the year 2023. There has yet to be an indication of what the pricing for this new tier is other than the fact that it will be less than the base cost of the service, which is currently $9 per month. However, the firm hopes to debut this new tier by the end of October. If AMC charges this new plan in a manner comparable to that of Netflix or Disney+, then the cost may be only a few dollars less than the base package.
The tiers that are sponsored by advertisements will include the entirety of the AMC+ package. This will include access to streaming services such as Shudder, IFC Films Unlimited, and Sundance Now, in addition to material from the AMC cable channel such as Breaking Bad and Mad Men.
While some streaming services had previously introduced fully featured ad-supported tiers in the past, others, such as Disney+, had code that suggested that viewers using that package would not be able to access features such as GroupWatch, which enables users to watch movies or series with other subscribers. While some streaming services had previously introduced fully featured ad-supported tiers in the past, others had code that suggested the opposite.
Despite this, Disney+ is only one of several streaming services that reduce the number of features available on its free tier in order to compete with Netflix’s more affordable 720p streaming plan. There is still a lot of confusion around whether or not the ad-supported tier of AMC+ would reduce the video quality or whether or not it will eliminate any features.
Introducing a plan with a lower price point has grown increasingly common in recent years; even Google TV has lately included many free channels and integrated advertisements into its paid programming.
