Netflix says it has five million users for its cheaper plan with ads

Mired in controversy: A demonstrator holds up a protest sign outside the Netflix office in a strike by the Writers Guild of America in Los Angeles. Television and movie writers launched a strike for the first time in 15 years over fair pay in the streaming era. — AP

LOS ANGELES: Netflix Inc says its new ad-supported subscription plan has attracted five million monthly active users, six months after its launch.

The US$7 (RM31.67)-a-month plan, less than half the price of its most popular offering, is aimed at juicing growth in an industry where new streaming customers have been harder to come by, particularly domestically.