Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is pictured on May 3, 2018 in Lille, northern France during the first edition of the TV Series Mania festival.
Philippe Huguen | AFP | Getty Images
Netflix could face a substantial hit to its subscriber numbers if it brings advertising to its streaming service, a new report finds.
Twenty-three percent of respondents to a recent Hub Entertainment Research survey said they would definitely or probably drop their Netflix subscription if it began running ads at its current price point or a dollar cheaper, according to Streaming Media. That percentage would represent a loss of nearly 14 million subscribers from Netflix’s 60 million paid subscribers in the U.S.
Respondents were more forgiving of the ads if Netflix dropped prices. Only 14% of respondents said they would definitely or probably drop their subscription if it were $2 cheaper than they currently pay. That number fell to 12% at a $3 discount.
The study’s findings were based on a survey of 1,765 U.S. TV…