Netflix has 23 million global viewers on its ad-supported tier

Netflix provided another update on the viewership numbers for its ad-supported tier on Wednesday. The Netflix Standard with Ads plan has now reached 23 million monthly active users globally, a substantial increase from the 15 million reported in November.

 

While subscriber count denotes the number of paid accounts a streaming service has, monthly active users represent the number of individual profiles within a paid account.

 

Netflix also disclosed its intention to introduce pause ads in the coming months.

 

It seems that Netflix is finally witnessing the desired momentum in subscriber growth since it introduced ads just over a year ago. In May, the global monthly active user count for its ad-supported service was only 5 million, and by August, it had doubled to 10 million. For comparison, Disney is also undergoing a similar growth trajectory, with its last reported AVOD subscriber count around 7 million in November.

 

Advertisers had voiced concerns about Netflix's initial lack of scale as recently as May. However, with its current growth rate, Netflix is better positioned to appeal to marketers. As buyers aim to reach a sufficient number of viewers to justify their investments, particularly in the context of allocating funds for streaming during the upfronts, media companies are already taking notice.

 

Regarding upfronts, Netflix is expected to have a broader range of ad inventory available for negotiations in the coming months.

 

In a few months, Netflix will launch pause ads, appearing after a viewer pauses a stream for at least five seconds, aiming to be minimally disruptive. The introduction of binge ads was also announced in November, offering brand sponsorship deals that allow viewers to access an ad-free episode in exchange for watching a sponsored message. Additionally, advertisers will soon have the option to include QR codes in their ad creatives.