Global TV streaming platform Netflix presented its latest update last week, during a live show in New York.
‘Netflix Upfront 2025: The Center of Attention’ was hosted at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in Manhattan on 14 May, in front of a crowd of around 500 industry figures.
During the star-studded event, Amy Reinhard, Netflix’s president of advertising, highlighted plans for the platform’s ad-supported growth in the US, which will undoubtedly influence the service worldwide.
Here’s what we learned:
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Ad-supported services
High on the agenda during the event was Netflix’s ad-supported plan.
Reinhard said the service now reaches more than 94 million global monthly active users and “more 18-34-year-olds than any other US broadcast or cable network”.
She described ad-members in the US as “highly engaged”, spending an average of 41 hours per month on Netflix.
“When you compare us to our competitors, attention starts much higher and ends much higher,” she said.
“And even more impressive, members pay as much attention to mid-roll ads as they do to the shows and the movies themselves.”
Staying ahead of the competition
When Netflix first offered its streaming-only plan in 2010, it faced very little competition.
Today, it exists in a highly competitive market, facing pressure from rival TV streaming services, such as Amazon Prime, Neon and Disney +.
Reinhard said that what sets Netflix apart is its “ability to marry art and science”.
She said the platform combined “best-in-class technology” with “shows and movies that everyone is talking about and watching”.
“A lot of companies” either “have great technology, or they have great entertainment”, she said.
“Our superpower has always been the fact that we have both. And because our audience is unique, engaged and attentive, a dollar spent on Netflix is more valuable than a dollar spent anywhere else.”
Last year, Netflix had more shows in the Nielsen Top 10 (which ranks the most-watched streaming shows in the US, based on total minutes viewed) than all other streaming services combined, the event was told.
New ad tech
Netflix Ads Suite – the service’s in-house advertising platform – is now live in the US and Canada. It will be live in EMEA from this week and available in all 12 ad-supported countries by June.
“By controlling our own ad tech, we’ll be able to deliver newer tools, better measurement, and more creative formats,” said Reinhard.
“The Netflix Ads Suite is also designed to help you tap into the magic that makes Netflix Netflix. And it does that in a few big ways.”
The service allows advertisers to incorporate their first-party data, either through LiveRamp or directly with Netflix. This means “clients can match data sets for behavioural insights and targeting capabilities against Netflix’s ads audience”, the event was told.
It will also make buying easier, with “more options and deal types, allowing clients to transact in whatever way works best for them”.
AI-assisted ad creation
For many, the big takeaway from last week’s Upfront was the announcement that Netflix has “debuted a new modular framework for ad formats that leverages generative AI to instantly marry advertisers’ ads with the worlds of our shows”.
Reinhard said this will create “a better, more relevant experience for our members and drive the best results”.
She also revealed interactive midroll and pause formats that build custom advertising creative with added overlays and second screen buttons, “to serve the right ad to the right member at the right time”.
“So, if you take away anything from today, I hope it’s this, the foundation of our ads business is in place. And going forward, the pace of progress is going to be even faster,” she said.
“Plus, we already have the most important thing. The most engaged audience anywhere.”
The new formats will be available by next year in all ad-supported countries.
Big brand partnerships
Also taking to the stage was Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer, who told the audience: “We’re always looking for creative ways to build our brand and connect with fans. And when you partner with us, you will get the same treatment.”
She said the platform will launch a number of global co-branded creative campaigns this year, partnering with firms such as Wendy’s, Cheetos and Booking.com for “the highly anticipated return of TV show ‘Wednesday’.
“It’s all about bringing stories to life in ways none of us can do on our own. And that’s our idea of the perfect partnership,” she said.
