Netflix Teams Up With Microsoft To Launch Ad-Supported Subscription Option

If you’re one of the millions of Netflix subscribers, you’d no doubt have heard the rumors of its plan to introduce a lower-priced, advertisement-supported tier to incentivize new sign-ups. 

Now, the company has officially announced it will be teaming up with Microsoft for the endeavor, with the latter looking over global advertising technology and sales. 

Upon launch, the new tier will allow consumers more options to access the streaming platform’s content, while marketers planning to advertise with the network will be granted premium inventory, which will be available exclusively through Microsoft. 

“Microsoft has the proven ability to support all our advertising needs as we work together to build a new ad-supported offering,” Netflix said in a press release. 

“More importantly, Microsoft offered the flexibility to innovate over time on both the technology and sale side, as well as strong privacy protection for our members,” the firm added. 

While not much else about the forthcoming subscription was revealed, with the company saying it was “very early days” of the partnership, it did pledge a long-term goal of “more choice for consumers, and a premium, better-than-linear TV brand experience for advertisers.” 

[via Netflix and Microsoft, cover image via various sources]