Netflix ad tier reaches 250 million monthly viewers

Netflix said on May 13 that its ad-supported tier now reaches more than 250 million global monthly active viewers, giving the company a larger audience base to pitch to marketers at its 2026 upfront presentation. The streamer also said more than 40% of new signups in ad-supported markets are choosing the advertising plan. Amy Reinhard, Netflix’s president of advertising, used the event to pair those audience figures with a new slate of ad tools, including interactive formats and generative AI-based creative products. The figures and product details were published by Netflix in its official upfront announcement. ### How is Netflix counting the 250 million figure? Netflix said the 250 million number refers to global monthly active viewers, not paying accounts. In a November 2025 post, the company said it defines monthly active viewers as members who watched at least one minute of ads in a month, multiplied by the estimated average number of people in a household, based on Netflix first-party research. (about.netflix.com) The metric marks an increase from the 190 million monthly active viewers Netflix reported six months earlier. In that same November 2025 update, Netflix said its ads business had reached more than 70 million monthly active users globally, underscoring the company’s shift toward reporting viewer reach rather than just account totals. (about.netflix.com) ### What did Netflix say about engagement on the ad tier? Netflix said more than 80% of members on the ad-supported plan watch actively every week. Reinhard told advertisers at the upfront that the company now sees itself moving beyond proving durability in advertising and toward establishing scale, according to Netflix’s published remarks from the event. (about.netflix.com) The company has been steadily raising its signup mix figures as the ad tier matured. In May 2024, Netflix said more than 40% of signups in ad-supported countries came from the ads plan, and in November 2024 it said more than 50% of new signups were choosing that option in those markets. The latest 2026 figure keeps the ads plan above the 40% threshold for new customer additions. (about.netflix.com) ### What new advertising tools did Netflix announce? Netflix said it will launch interactive midroll and pause ad formats, including overlays, call-to-action elements, second-screen buttons and other prompts designed to let viewers respond to campaigns directly from the screen. The company said those formats will be available by 2026 in all ad-supported markets. (about.netflix.com) Netflix also said it is building generative AI capabilities into its ad business. The company said advertisers will be able to match ads more closely to Netflix titles, using modular creative frameworks intended to adapt campaigns against the look and feel of specific shows or films. ### How does this fit into Netflix’s broader ad push? (about.netflix.com) Netflix launched its lower-priced ad-supported plan in the United States at $6.99 a month in November 2022. At launch, the company said the plan would include an average of four to five minutes of ads per hour and would initially be available in 12 countries. Since then, Netflix has expanded its ad infrastructure with more programmatic buying options and measurement tools. (about.netflix.com) In 2025, the company announced integrations with Yahoo DSP and Amazon DSP, saying those partnerships would broaden how advertisers buy Netflix inventory and target campaigns. ### What comes next for advertisers using Netflix? (about.netflix.com) Netflix said its new interactive formats and AI-enabled creative tools are scheduled to roll out during 2026 across its ad-supported markets. Reinhard said at the upfront that Netflix’s next phase is focused on giving advertisers more ways to buy, measure and tailor campaigns on the service. (about.netflix.com 1) (about.netflix.com 2)