With Netflix new ad-free standard plan at $20, streaming's tipping point into old TV is getting closer

The Netflix logo on one of the company's buildings in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 20, 2026. Daniel Cole | Reuters Streaming companies are discovering that their most valuable customers may not be the ones paying the most. Instead, it's increasingly the viewers who watch the most. The change is being driven by a move away from a subscription-only model to one that combines subscription fees with advertising. …