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Elon Musk has taken to the platform once again to signal an ad-free Twitter Blue subscription at a higher price.
A little over a month after Twitter Blue relaunched, Elon Musk has teased the possibility of an even higher subscription – one that promises no ads.
The Basic Blue subscription has already promised fewer ads compared to those who do not pay for a Twitter subscription, though this feature is yet to be implemented.
“Like the existing Twitter Blue subscription, our new monthly subscription doesn’t currently offer an ad-free experience, although we are working on a feature that will reduce the number of ads you see,” it says on the platform’s website.
Musk, who announced he would step down as CEO in December, tweeted that ads are too frequent and too big on Twitter. “Taking steps to address both in coming weeks,” he said.
Ads are too frequent on Twitter and too big. Taking steps to address both in coming weeks.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2023
“Also, there will be a higher priced subscription that allows zero ads.”
Twitter’s subscription service has been marred with problems since it relaunched under Musk’s watch last year.
The initial roll-out of Twitter Blue allowed users to pay to receive a ‘verified’ blue tick. However, this was quickly paused after a wave of impersonation accounts flooded the platform.
One user impersonated pharma giant Eli Lilly and tweeted that insulin was “now free”. The real Eli Lilly account responded on Twitter, apologising for the misleading message and linking to its actual account.
The company’s ad revenue has also suffered, as Musk’s takeover last year quickly caused agencies to pause spending.
In November, GroupM, a global media investment company that is part of the world’s largest ad agency WPP, reportedly advised clients that buying ads on Twitter is now a “high-risk” endeavour.
And recent reports suggest that revenue woes are continuing. The Platformer reported that the company’s daily revenue is down 40pc year-over-year, while The Information said more than 500 of Twitter’s top advertisers had halted spending since Elon Musk bought it in October.
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