BINGE with ads? See how much it will cost to dodge them
As a BINGE ad-supported tier is launched, is your package affected?
Ads are now on BINGE, but only for 1 tier.
Plans for an ad-supported package on BINGE were previously announced as part of the Foxtel Group Upfront event last year, but now it's finally launched.
When is the new BINGE ad-supported tier launching?
Advertising features on BINGE from 30 March 2023 on its entry-level tier, BINGE Basic.
That means that rather than a completely new ad-supported tier, ads will now be part of the existing Basic tier.
How much will BINGE's ad-supported plan cost?
As ads are on the BINGE Basic tier, this costs $10 a month.
Ads have just been added to an existing package rather than a whole new tier created like what happened when Netflix introduced ads.
This is similar to how Disney Plus introduced ads on its service in the US where it made the price of the ad tier the same as its existing lowest-priced tier.
How many ads will be screened?
Ads will be capped to 4 minutes per hour on launch on BINGE Basic. Pre- and mid-rolls will appear in some TV series, excluding kids content.
That means ads would run before and during a show.
The company also stated there will be "strict ad-serving controls and a frequency cap of 1 per hour per user".
That means BINGE is taking measures to address the common annoyance on ad-based streaming platforms where the same ad can play multiple times in a row.
Will any shows be missing from BINGE's ad-supported package?
When Netflix launched its ad-supported plan, some titles were missing on this tier.
On BINGE Basic though, the content offering will remain the same as what you would find on its other tiers.
Are there any other changes to BINGE packages?
In addition to ads, the Basic tier is now available in high definition (HD).
Previously the Basic package was standard definition (SD) only, so now TV shows and movies can be watched in HD.
The BINGE Standard and Premium packages will remain as they are.
You can also still sign up to the service and enjoy a 14-day free trial.
Stream BINGE for 14 days FREE and no lock-in contract
Test out the Basic, Standard or Premium plan and stream 10,000+ hours of shows and movies on demand.
How much will it cost to avoid ads on BINGE?
If you are on the Basic tier and don't want to watch ads on BINGE after 30 March, you'll need to subscribe to at least the Standard package, which is $16 a month.
That means it will cost you $6 a month more to avoid watching ads on BINGE.
However, if you can't or don't want to spend more than the $10 a month you were spending on the Basic tier but still want an ad-free streaming experience, there are still options available to you.
At $9.99 a month, you can subscribe to Apple TV Plus.
You can have access to Paramount Plus, BritBox or AMC Plus for $8.99 a month.
Meanwhile, the likes of Prime Video, Acorn TV, hayu, and Shudder are only $6.99 a month each.
Stan's Basic plan is $10 a month.
Keep in mind that some of the above are niche services and only focus on a certain style of programming, so you'll need to compare what they offer and see if they're right for you.
Want to find out what's on BINGE? Check out our list of all the TV shows on BINGE here.