One of the biggest disappointments about the newly launched Netflix with ads was that it didn’t work on Apple TV, but that’s all changed thanks to a recent update of the Netflix tvOS app.
A Reddit user in Germany was among the first to notice (as reported by FlatpanelsHD) that version 2.3 of the Netflix app for tvOS finally allowed Apple TV users to stream videos using Netflix’s cheaper, ad-supported plan.
I tested the updated Netflix app on my own Apple TV in the U.S. and yes, I can confirm that Netflix with ads finally works on Apple TV.
That wasn’t the case when Netflix with ads first rolled out in November. Back then, Netflix’s $6.99-a-month ad-supported tier didn’t support Apple TV, nor did it work on older Chromecast devices, the PlayStation 3, or the Netflix app for Windows.
I haven’t tested whether Netflix with ads now works on older Chromecast devices, although its worth noting that previous-generation Chromecast players are no longer specifically called out as unsupported devices on Netflix’s “with ads” support page. Both the PlayStation 3 and the Netflix app for Windows are still listed as unsupported.
Netflix with ads first launched back in November 2022, and it costs $6.99 a month for a single 720p stream. Subscribers to Netflix’s ad-supported plan can expect to watch about 4-5 minutes of ads per hour of streaming.
Netflix’s with ads tier has reportedly reached one million active users milestone in the U.S., a figure that includes multiple users in the same account, Bloomberg reports.
Besides not being supported on all platforms at launch, Netflix’s ad-supported plan also–at least initially–didn’t include all the content of its ad-free plans.
But that seems to be changing, with at least one key show that wasn’t available on the “with ads” tier–The Crown–now streamable on the plan.
Another key missing feature on the Netflix with ads plan is that you can’t download videos for offline viewing. For that feature, you’ll need to upgrade to an ad-free Netflix plan.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices. You can follow Ben on Twitter.