Netflix’s ad-supported subscription plan is now three years old and since then it has not only opened a relationship window between advertisers and viewers, but has also become a turning point in the streaming industry, with other platforms following in its footsteps. The company has taken stock of the performance of its proposal by sharing some data on its penetration and effectiveness, and has shared details of the new developments it is working on.
New audience metrics
The main novelty that the company has presented is the adoption of a new metric. These are Monthly Active Viewers (MAV), that is, monthly active viewers. As explained by Amy Reinhard, President of Netflix Ads, in a press conference that she was able to attend reason.Whythis metric is calculated by multiplying the accounts that have watched at least one minute of ads on Netflix in a month by the estimated average number of people per household, based on internal Netflix data.
The advertising-supported plan has 190 million active monthly viewers globally
Thus, Netflix claims to have 190 million active monthly viewers across countries in which its ad-supported subscription model is active. Of them, 10.2 million are in Spain. The company ensures that this metric is more complete and comprehensive with respect to consumer habits since it offers greater transparency, precision and clarity in relation to user interaction with the service.
Until now, Netflix had used monthly active users to provide information on its performance. This option, as they say, was based on account profiles and did not consider the way in which households use the platform, which often includes co-viewing, that is, the viewing of content by more than one person.
In November of last year, two years after adopting advertising, Netflix shared that its ad-supported plan had 70 million monthly active users globally, and that more than 50% of its new subscriptions were for that plan.
New advertising formats
The company has also announced the new advertising formats it is working on and that will be released next year. The most striking option in this field is dynamic ad insertion (DAI) in live programs, a line of content that Netflix is strategically betting on.
Thus, it assures that in this quarter it is already carrying out tests in WWE programs, to allow brands to adapt their campaigns in a more local and personalized way. It also points out that it has made the technology available to advertisers in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Germany and the United Kingdom for the broadcast of the NFL game at Christmas.
Throughout 2026 it will extend the function to more live titles.
Netflix is also expanding its ad formats. Until now it had traditional spots, pause ads, title sponsorships and QR ads. It is now testing modular ads in interactive videos in the United States and Canada. This type of advertising will adapt to subscribers’ viewing habits and will allow advertisers to benefit from dynamic templates that combine and adapt different creative elements.
These ads will reach everyone in the second quarter of 2026.
More segmentation capacity
The company has also positively assessed the performance of its own advertising platform, Netflix Ads Suite, already deployed in 12 countries (Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and Australia). And it ensures that it continues to improve its segmentation tools to make advertising on its platform more effective and easier.
In this sense, it is expanding its advanced demographic segmentation to more precisely reach relevant audiences. Thus, advertisers will be able to filter by socio-economic profile, level of education or marital status, among others.
In addition, Netflix Ads Suite also offers the possibility of segmenting subscribers interested in specific products. This will allow brands to optimize their strategy to reach users with greater purchasing intent, with categories such as luxury cars, tourist packages or gastronomic experiences.
The company has also expanded its analysis tools and added new alliances with partners to achieve clear and transparent results. It already collaborates with more than 50 advertising measurement companies around the world, and has expanded its programmatic offering to include Amazon, Google Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk and Yahoo DSP.
Netflix seeks to grow with advertising
The ultimate objective of all these initiatives is to boost the company’s growth. However, Amy Reinhard, President of Netflix Ads, defended at the press conference that the platform’s main competitive advantage continues to be the content and the engagement it generates in the audience.
The new features presented seek to reinforce the perception of Netflix as an innovative brand capable of offering advertising solutions that promote the relevance and memorability of advertisers’ messages. Thus, it considers that what differentiates its advertising proposal from rivals, or even from traditional television, is its flexibility, customization options and interactivity.
In its latest financial results, Netflix reported revenue growth of 17% in the third quarter of this year, to $11.51 billion. Its profits stood at 2,547 million dollars, that is, 7.7% more compared to the same period of the previous year.
By the end of the year, the company expects an increase in turnover of close to 16%, reaching $45.1 billion. Netflix attributes the performance to increased subscriptions, its new rates and increased advertising revenue.
It is worth remembering that in the summer of this year the platform changed its rates again. Although it lowered the price of its plan with advertising, from 7.99 to 6.99 euros per month; has increased that of the basic subscription without ads, whose price has gone from 9.99 to 13.99 euros per month.
