• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Streaming expert explains why platforms charges for subscriptions even when they have ads

Home> Film & TV> News

Updated 15:08 11 Mar 2025 GMTPublished 17:59 6 Mar 2025 GMT

Streaming expert explains why platforms charges for subscriptions even when they have ads

Executive VP of Paramount and International General Manager of Pluto TV Olivier Jollet weighs in on the importance of free streaming

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

A TV executive has weighed in on the importance of free streaming amid other platforms raising prices.

With streaming platforms such as Netflix continuously raising their prices leading to viewers threatening to end their subscriptions, it's no surprise customers are weighing up their options and welcoming alternatives with open arms.

However, there are reasons why platforms such as Netflix are required to charge a fee - even for the ad-included plan.

Why services such as Netflix charge, even for ad plans

Pluto TV is a completely free streaming service - able to be free as a result of showing advertisements. However, even Netflix's ad-plan comes at a cost, but why?

Well Executive VP of Paramount and International General Manager of Pluto TV, Olivier Jollet, and Nazneen Sethi, VP, Content Strategy & Programming Operations for Pluto TV, broke it down for UNILAD.

Advert

Jollet outlines a key difference between Pluto TV and platforms such as Netflix, explaining Pluto TV is ultimately 'not producing content'.

"It's a very important topic," he explains. "[...] We're not producing original content, which is actually what is very expensive on all the Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) services."

Pluto TV shows 'a lot of live events' and has 'a lot of really fresh content', but it doesn't 'commission' content in the same way Netflix does, meaning it has 'a different business model'.

Jollet continues: "I think it's pretty well known that what is driving the expenses on the SVOD is really the production of really big original content."

Advert

While Jollet thinks producing original content is 'amazing' and 'normal' to be located 'beyond the paywall,' he highlights an 'interesting' change which has slowly been taking place - the time it takes for content to move from SVOD services to 'pure free' streaming services such as Pluto.

How much do you spend on subscriptions? (Getty Stock Images)
How much do you spend on subscriptions? (Getty Stock Images)

'Evolution not revolution'

Jollet explains the 'time between when it's on SVOD and then when it's coming on pure, free services like Pluto TV, is shrinking'.

Advert

"So you start seeing more and more content coming very quickly," he continued.

"In certain markets, we had a lot of free TV premiere which were coming directly from SVOD to Pluto TV without going on traditional TV. And I think that's the evolution of TV."

Jollet added: "In the old world you had like, pay TV and free TV and the big stuff was always be on the paywall and coming on afterwards on free TV. And in the new world, you have paid streaming and pure free streaming. I think that's just like the cycle, and it's closing the loop, I would say.

"So more and more there's crossover or, you know, much shorter windows, so you're getting access to content that users want much, much quicker," Sethi added.

Advert

Free streaming and paid services can 'coexist' (Getty Stock Images)
Free streaming and paid services can 'coexist' (Getty Stock Images)

However, that's not to say free streaming services will simply replace paid ones.

No matter how angry some viewers get, would most of us really cancel our accounts before being able to catch the final Squid Game?

And Nazneen reflects the two can 'co-exist', drawing on how 2006 drama Psych is available to watch on both Netflix and Pluto TV.

Advert

Jollet resolves it's an 'evolution more than a revolution'.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/SOPA Images

Topics: Entertainment, Film and TV, Money, Netflix

Poppy Bilderbeck
Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Netflix users threaten to end subscriptions over 'ridiculous' new announcement
  • Renée Zellweger explains why she decided to quit acting for 6 years
  • Netflix fans have found new obsession in '10/10' series climbing TV charts labeled 'Elite on steroids'
  • Expert explains why it's 'highly unlikely' Brian Laundrie's parents will face criminal charges amid release of Gabby Petito doc

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
12 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    Cult classic film removed from Disney+ over controversial scene that had it banned from TV

    The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has long expressed its concerns about the scene in the 1989 movie

    Film & TV
  • 2 hours ago

    Netflix viewers urge Ozark fans to add 'absolute must-see series' to their watchlist

    Fans of the well-loved show starring Jason Bateman are being told to watch another series on Netflix

    Film & TV
  • 2 hours ago

    Vin Diesel hints Paul Walker could be in upcoming Fast and Furious movie and it's left fans very divided

    He's desperate to reunite Dom and Brian

    Film & TV
  • 12 hours ago

    Perfect Netflix series hailed as must watch hidden gem as fans binge for 16,500,000 hours

    'Gut-bustlingly funny'

    Film & TV