- At the Upfront 2025 event, Netflix Advertising President Amy Reinhard said that AI-generated ads are coming to Netflix.
- These ads will appear in the middle of shows and when the viewer pauses the video.
- Interactive AI ads on Netflix will appear in the ad-supported tier, starting in 2026.
Netflix is experimenting with Generative AI ads for its ad-supported tier. Speaking at Upfront 2025, Netflix’s President of Advertising, Amy Reinhard, said that starting in 2026, Netflix will be launching AI-generated interactive ads. There will be two types of ads: midroll ads and pause ads. Midroll ads play in the middle of a show, and Pause ads appear when you pause a show.
These ads will be powered by AI, so they will be more personalized and interactive. Netflix also said that its $7.99 ad-supported tier has reached 94 million subscribers, Media Play News reported. In fact, this cheaper subscription tier makes up for 50% of all new subscribers. As the cheaper plan gains popularity, Netflix wants to double its ad revenue.
Speaking at the event, Reinhard said, “When you compare us to our competitors, attention starts 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 movies themselves.“
Meanwhile, YouTube is also planning to show AI ads using Gemini. These ads will appear just after emotionally engaging or “peak” moments in a video when viewer attention is at its highest. Not to mention, Amazon Prime Video is now asking users to pay for an add-on plan to avoid ads while watching movies or shows.
