Netflix Expands Its Advertising Initiatives

For the second consecutive year, Netflix’s ad-supported tier has seen its monthly viewer count more than double. During its 2026 upfront presentation, Netflix announced that its $8.99-per-month plan now reaches over 250 million users worldwide, a remarkable increase from the 94 million reported last year.

In 2025, the streaming giant generated $1.5 billion from advertisements and is now exploring additional placements across its platform. Starting next year, Netflix will introduce ads in the new vertical video feed on its mobile app and within the lineup of podcasts it began adding late last year.

Launched in 2022, Netflix’s ad-supported Basic tier has not only expanded its subscriber base but also its pricing, now costing $2 more than its initial $6.99 launch price. Recently, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton referenced Netflix’s ad-supported plan in a lawsuit, alleging that the service misled subscribers regarding the data collected for advertising purposes.

Additionally, Netflix is set to roll out its ad-supported tier in 15 new countries, including Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand. The service is also testing a new personalization feature that tailors the ads subscribers see based on their viewing habits.