The platform unveiled its new series, movies, documentaries and live events coming up in the new season.
Amy Reinhard, Netflix’s President of Advertising, took the stage at Netflix’s third Upfront to highlight the growth of the ad-supported plan, which now reaches more than 94M global monthly active users and more 18-34-year-olds than any other US broadcast or cable network. Ads members in the US are 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. And even more impressive, members pay as much attention to mid-roll ads as they do to the shows and the movies themselves,” she said.
Netflix Ads Suite
What sets Netflix apart is “our ability to marry art and science, combining best-in-class technology with the shows and movies that everyone is talking about and watching,” Reinhard explained. “So while a lot of companies are either/or — either they have great technology, or they have great entertainment — 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.”
The Netflix Ads Suite, Netflix’s in-house advertising platform, is now live in the US and Canada, will be live next week in EMEA, and available in all 12 ad-supported countries by June. To help explain the benefits of the new platform, Reinhard got an assist from Agency Grateau’s Emily Cooper (aka Lily Collins). Cooper shared that “you can now target more than 100 interests in over 17 categories — including life stages.”
Reinhard added: “By controlling our own ad tech, we’ll be able to deliver newer tools, better measurement, and more creative formats. 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.”
Enhanced Data Capabilities: With Netflix Ads Suite, advertisers can now incorporate their first-party data, either through LiveRamp or directly with Netflix, so clients can match data sets for behavioral insights and targeting capabilities against Netflix’s ads audience. Netflix also opened third-party data access to trusted partners like Experian and Acxiom and announced our own clean room strategy, where we can collaborate in a private, secure environment on everything from planning and activation to measurement. All while protecting the privacy of our members.
More Buying: We know how important it is to make buying easy, including programmatically. The Netflix Ads Suite will offer more options and deal types, allowing clients to transact in whatever way works best for them.
Expanded Measurement: Today, Netflix announced the development of new first-party measurement solutions, starting with a brand lift capability tying viewing behaviors to consumer brand perceptions.
Creative Formats: Netflix debuted a new modular framework for ad formats that leverages generative AI to instantly marry advertisers’ ads with the worlds of our shows. This will create a better, more relevant experience for our members and drive the best results. Reinhard unveiled the first capability with interactive midroll and pause formats that build custom advertising creative with added overlays, call to action, second screen buttons, and more to serve the right ad to the right member at the right time. These formats will be available by 2026 in all ad-supported countries.
Netflix Ads Suite: Enhanced data capabilities, expanded measurement, creative formats.
“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,” said Reinhard. “Plus, we already have the most important thing: the most engaged audience anywhere.”
Fueling Netflix Fandom
Marian Lee, Netflix’s Chief Marketing Officer, spoke directly to advertisers as “both a buyer and a seller. … 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. The creative teams that work on our campaigns and drive conversation are the same ones that will work with your brands, too.”
With more than 700 million people watching, Netflix is uniquely positioned to put brands at the center of attention. “Today, everyone really is watching Netflix,” said Lee. “Last year, we had more shows in the Nielsen Top 10 than all other streaming services combined. And just last week, Nielsen reported that we have eight of the top 20 shows across broadcast, on-demand, and streaming.”
Lee announced several global co-branded creative campaigns coming this year, including Wendy’s, Cheetos and Booking.com for the highly anticipated return of 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.
New Series, Movies, and Live Events
Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, spoke about how Netflix is different and how she’s “programming a slate, not slots. That means that my team is thinking about all the titles we release all year — across many countries and languages. And we’re making sure we have shows and films for everyone and every mood.
“Our audiences expect us to have the best of everything,” she said. “And we try to keep them on their toes with some unexpected surprises too. That’s why when we have the opportunity to take big, bold swings and get the NFL on Christmas Day, a surprise boxing match, or the WWE every week, we move quickly and we make it happen.”
In addition to the WWE every week, Bajaria discussed new live events coming to Netflix, including the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano rematch fight on July 11. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell unveiled this year’s two exciting NFL Christmas Day matchups: the Dallas Cowboys at the Washington Commanders, and the Detroit Lions at the Minnesota Vikings.
Bajaria announced new seasons of The Diplomat, Forever, The Four Seasons, Love on the Spectrum, Million Dollar Secret, My Life With the Walter Boys, Survival of the Thickest, and Seasons 5 and 6 of Bridgerton. She also revealed several new shows and movies, including:
The Body – A gritty, coming-of-age drama created by Quinn Shepherd, following a group of badly behaved girls who begin having prophetic visions and set off mass hysteria in their town.
All the Sinners Bleed – In this series, the first Black sheriff in a small Bible Belt community must lead the hunt for a serial killer.
Untitled Dan Levy – A new comedy series starring Dan Levy, Laurie Metcalf and Taylor Ortega.
Star Search – The iconic talent competition series is officially returning — live, reimagined, and supercharged for today’s audience.
PRIME TIME – A new documentary series that will peel back the layers of Deion Sanders, one of sports’ most electrifying and polarizing figures.
Here Comes the Flood – Starring Denzel Washington and Daisy Edgar-Jones, this new film chronicles a bank guard plotting with a master thief to steal, the rise and fall of his relationship with a bank teller and a series of twists that unveil the con game at the center of it all.
Fight for ‘84 – After the US Olympic boxing team is tragically killed in a plane crash in 1980, a new coach (Jamie Foxx) is brought in to rebuild the team and leads them to victory in the 1984 Olympics in this upcoming movie.
More stars joined Bajaria to present their upcoming series and films, including Jason Bateman and Jude Law for Black Rabbit; Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp and Caleb McLaughlin of Stranger Things; Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, Justine Lupe, Timothy Simons and Jackie Tohn of Nobody Wants This; Charlize Theron of Apex; and Taraji P. Henson, Teyana Taylor and Sherri Shepherd of Tyler Perry’s Straw. To close the show, Jerry Jones, the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, highlighted his upcoming documentary series America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys, before guests enjoyed a special live performance from the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders of “Thunderstruck” from America’s Sweethearts: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
