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Netflix's ad-supported plan and password sharing fees may arrive this year
The company is playing catch up to other services with more affordable plans.
YouTube makes thousands of TV show episodes available to stream for free
For the first time, YouTube is letting users in the US stream thousands of free, ad-supported TV shows like Hell's Kitchen, Heartland and Unsolved Mysteries.
Disney+ will add a cheaper ad-supported tier later this year
The plan will be US-only at first and expand to other countries in 2023.
HBO Max's $10 ad-supported plan is now available
Other tradeoffs include a 1080p streaming quality limit and no downloads for offline viewing.
HBO Max will debut an ad-supported tier in June
AT&T expects to have up to 150 million HBO and HBO Max subscribers by 2026.
Redbox adds on-demand movies and shows to its free streaming service
The company rolled out an ad-supported live TV option in February.
Peacock streaming service is coming to Android TV and Chromecast
NBCUniversal’s new streaming service Peacock will be available on Google platforms and devices beginning July 15th.
Amazon expands free music streaming to Android, iOS and Fire TV
Amazon's free, ad-supported music tier is no longer confined to Alexa devices. The service is now available through the Amazon Music app on Android, iOS and Fire TV for listeners in the US, UK and Germany. You're still limited to listening to playlists and stations (based on artists, eras, genres and songs), but this makes it trivial to check out the latest rap tracks or queue up holiday songs.
NBC's Peacock streaming service may be free for everyone
With the streaming wars heating up -- Apple TV+ debuted today and HBO Max launch details were announced this week -- there are still some services that have a few cards to play before they start to roll out. Among them is Peacock, NBCUniversal's offering, which might very well be free for everyone when it debuts in April.
Alexa owners can listen to Amazon Music for free -- with ads
Rumors started circulating last week that Amazon was exploring a free, ad-supported tier of its streaming music service. Turns out there was something to those rumblings. Today, the commerce giant announced that Alexa device owners in the US will be able to listen to top playlists and stations on Amazon Music at no additional charge, even if they are not Amazon Prime subscribers. Of course, this news also comes on the same day that Amazon's frenemies over at Google launched ad-supported free YouTube Music streaming on Google Home smart devices.
Amazon is reportedly working on a news app for Fire TV
It sounds like Amazon is working on a video news app for its Fire TV. Reportedly, the company has been approaching news organizations to negotiate distribution deals. People from those companies told The Information that Amazon's app will be free, ad-supported and could launch in the next few months.
YouTube hopes to patch things up with the music industry
The music industry hasn't been too enamored with YouTube, what with all the unsanctioned content on the video site. Now that Google is planning to merge Google Play and YouTube into one music service, however, it's time to start fixing that awkward relationship. YouTube's head of music, Lyor Cohen, took the first steps toward reconciliation at the New Music Seminar in New York City this week, with a panel geared toward the lack of ad revenues and how the music industry can be more supportive of streaming services.
Amazon reportedly launching free, ad-supported video service (updated)
Amazon is set to launch a free, ad-supported video service separate from its $99 Prime Instant Video offering, according to the New York Post. In case you're having deja vu, the WSJ reported exactly the same thing back in March and Amazon firmly denied it. However, the Post confidently said that the offering is now a definite "go." One of its sources for the rumor is a potential advertiser, which said Amazon would unveil the service in order to increase its video share against arch-rival Netflix -- and ultimately tempt users into Prime memberships.
Samba's free mobile data network shuts down as ads fail to cover costs
If 500MB of free browsing a month in exchange for watching a few ads seemed too good to be true, it was -- Samba, the free, data-only MVNO is no more. According to the company's blog, it came down to the increasing price of wholesale data, which made the ad model unsustainable. Fortunately, if you bought a SIM card recently or paid for a data top-up (another option if you didn't want ads), you'll get a refund. There'll be no credit for time spent watching ads, though -- but it's a pretty good bet you were doing something else at the time anyway.
Amazon says: yes, you can opt out of ads on new Kindle Fire models (update 3: yes, really)
The new Kindle Fire range was barely out of the oven before Amazon drew flak for its plans to include Special Offers on the lock screen for US models. In plainer language, the tablets ship with ads built-in -- and unlike e-paper Kindles, there's no option to pay for an ad-free variant from the start. But don't cancel your pre-order just yet. Amazon's support has since confirmed to an Engadget reader that the option to remove the ads will be "announced soon." Although full details aren't forthcoming, we wouldn't be surprised if history repeats and owners have to pay a fee to cover the lost ad subsidies. You can see the relevant snippet of Amazon's response e-mail, in all its tenuous grasp of English, after the break. [Thanks, Anonymous] Update: Since we've posted, CNET has talked to a spokesperson who claims that there will be "no way" to remove ads. We're getting to the bottom of this, although it's clear there's at least a schism between what PR and support staff understand. Update 2: We've gotten in touch with Amazon ourselves, and they say that there's been a mix-up in support -- there won't be any opt-out choice. Sorry, folks. If you don't like ads, you'll have to hope there's a change of heart between now and launch. Update 3: Look at that. In the space of a day, Amazon has changed its tune and says it will let you pay $15 (post-sale) to opt out of Special Offers ads.
WSJ: Amazon is building an ad-supported tablet (update: two Kindle Fire devices coming next week)
If you can't quite scrounge up the $200 it takes to buy a quality 7-inch slab these days, Amazon may have a solution for you: sell them your attention. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company plans to develop an ad-supported tablet that would display advertisements whenever the screen is turned on. Sound familiar? Like Amazon's existing ad-supported Kindles, a subsided tablet would ring in at a lower price tag then its ad-free counterparts. WSJ's sources also mentioned that some versions of the device would be WiFi-only, potentially helping Amazon lower the price even further. No word yet, if you'll be able to buy your way out of the ads later, of course. Update: Care for a thicker plot? CNET is now reporting that Amazon will reveal two new Kindle Fire tablets next week -- a 7-incher and a slightly reworked version of the original. While a brand new slab could be an obvious contender for the 7-inch tablet crown, a refreshed version of Amazon's original hardware could very well fit the ad-supported bill. Check out CNET's full report at the source link below.
Atari ports classic games to HTML5 for web and Windows 8, lets developers craft their own (video)
Atari is big on nostalgia this year, but it hasn't had much in the way of software to reflect the trip down memory lane beyond the existing mobile apps. Its remedy to that shortfall is full of 2012 buzzwords. The new Atari Arcade includes modern takes on eight classic Atari 2600 games, all built entirely with HTML5 and free to play. As fun as that promises to be, our interest is most piqued by the game library's open-ended nature; this isn't just an alternative to firing up a smartphone. A new Javascript kit lets developers not only build their own games but make money as they see fit, whether it's through ads or in-app purchases. Whether they're new or old, titles work in multiple contemporary browsers, although Microsoft would really, really like you to know that the games are ad-free and touch-optimized for both Windows 8 tablets as well as Internet Explorer 10. We'll try to remember that when we look to relive our Combat memories on a Surface.
Square Enix Coreonline offers top-tier games on the web for free -- if you feed the ad meter
It's not hard to see that offering high-quality games through the cloud has its pitfalls, not the least of which is getting customers to pay. Square Enix may have licked that last problem through its new Coreonline web gaming service. Players can still pony up for the full-priced games or even single levels if they want unfettered access, but the cleverness comes through Coreonline's parking meter approach to ad-supported free play: the more ads you watch and the longer they run, the longer you'll get to play without spending a single coin. As our colleagues at Joystiq found out, however, the current level of OS support is inconsistent. Windows gamers can use Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer to start playing, but their Mac-owning friends have to lean on Chrome for some games and can't even consider running the marquee title, Hitman: Blood Money. Square Enix's library of eligible games will start expanding in October; while there's no guarantee the Final Fantasy series or many other dream games will make it to the roster, Coreonline's approach might just be viable enough to spare us a few raids on the bargain bins.
Boingo snaps up Cloud Nine Media to expand its ad-sponsored WiFi network
Boingo tried its hand at free WiFi with Google earlier this summer, and now it's acquired Cloud Nine Media to help it claim a larger slice of the sponsored internet access pie. Though Boingo's 500,000 subscription-based access points vastly outnumber its acquisition's 6,000 ad-sponsored locations, it hopes to use the newly purchased company's hotspot sponsorship and ad-sales expertise to increase its free WiFi footprint. "This acquisition allows us to bring that capability in-house to better serve our growing need to deliver sponsored WiFi," Boingo CEO David Hagan told AllThingsD. Naturally, the firm's $9.95-a-month plan will live on, but it's good to know that Boingo will enable more folks to surf the web free of charge from here on out. [Image credit: Charleston's TheDigitel, Flickr]
Samba launches ad-supported mobile data in the UK, makes you dance for your internet
Want mobile data, but without the pesky monetary cost? Samba, a new virtual network in the UK offers just that, in a model similar to the Blyk virtual operator before it. You'll need to stump up for a SIM (£2.99,) and an optional dongle, then sit back and soak up a few adverts to earn some internet "credit." The MVNO uses Three's network, but keeps a record of your browsing as part of the deal (which, claims the BBC, you can prevent from being used for marketing purposes). To get online you'll need to install a browser plug-in, or iPad app which will send you off to the commercials before sending you on your digital way. While technically free, it'll cost you about two-and-a-half minutes of your time a day to get about 517 megabytes of data in a month. Additional credit can be earned through partner deals, or straight up cash if you just want to get on sans adverts. The "free"-dom doesn't extend to what you can browse though, with some sites (those deemed offensive, or in breach of copyright) being off-limits. Still, if this sounds like a decent trade-off, or a good backup plan, head down to the source after these messages...
