Netflix ad-supported tier imminent as streamer agrees to audience ratings

Netflix is in a time of change, with a long-rumoured new pricing tier that relies on users watching ads on the service for the first time seemingly getting closer and closer.

Now, it’s parted with convention by signing up for the UK’s Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, known as Barb.

This body independently measures how audiences are watching TV, scoring different platforms and channels according to their levels of engagement to produce ratings.

The service is closely tied to advertisers, which can use its information to work out where they should place their ads, and how much they should be paying for that privilege.

This is significant, as the first time that Netflix has allowed an outside body to access and assess its subscription model and viewership, but is presumably necessary if it’s going to start selling advertising slots.

The viewing data will go live for Barb’s subscribers from 2 November 2022, suggesting that an ad-supported tier might be on its way shortly thereafter, giving advertisers a bit of time to figure out how to strategise around Netflix’s newer business model compared to a standard broadcast channel.

Of course, that doesn’t get us any closer to an actual launch date for the ad-supported tier – we’ll still be keeping our ears close to the ground for an announcement by Netflix on that front.