Netflix on Wednesday said its advertising-supported tier has crossed 250 million global monthly active viewers and announced plans to expand the ads plan to 15 more countries from 2027.
Speaking at the company’s fourth Upfront presentation, the streamer’s president of advertising Amy Reinhard said, “If the last couple of years were about proving we’re a durable player, this year is about establishing ourselves as a formidable one.”
The company said over 80 per cent of members on the ads-supported plan actively watch content every week, driven by popular titles such as Wednesday, The Night Agent, Happy Gilmore 2 and Stranger Things.
Netflix said that beginning in 2027, the advertising-supported plan will be launched in Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand.
“We’ve got cutting-edge technology, we’ve got great entertainment across shows, movies, podcasts, and live events, and we’ve got the most engaged and attentive audience. We’ve proven we’re effective, and now we’re expanding ads to more places and we’re ready to compete with anyone,” Reinhard said.
The streamer also announced expansion of advertising inventory across podcasts and vertical video formats globally from 2027. It said brand partnership opportunities would also be expanded on Tudum, Netflix’s official fan platform that draws more than 24 million monthly views.
The company said it is increasingly deploying artificial intelligence and machine learning tools across its advertising business. Netflix said it now offers AI-driven tools to optimise media planning and is testing AI agents for ad management and purchases on the platform.
It added that AI is also being used to adapt advertiser content for multiple formats, including pause ads and vertical video advertising. The company said the capability, recently tested with brands such as DoorDash, Target and TurboTax, will be rolled out across all ad-supported markets by the end of this year.
Nicolle Pangis said, “Netflix is the only place that can leverage the best tech with the best shows and movies in the world. That’s why we built the Netflix Ads Suite — it’s the easiest and fastest way to deliver better capabilities, better measurement and more creative formats.”
Netflix said it has expanded partnerships with companies including Snowflake and Amazon Web Services for data collaboration technology and plans to add InfoSum by the end of 2026.
The company also announced wider programmatic advertising capabilities for live content and pause ads in the US and Canada this summer, with further expansion planned globally later this year.
Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria also unveiled a slate of new shows, films and live events. “Netflix has always been the pioneer. The innovator. The company willing to make big bets that no one else saw coming. We’ve dared to imagine things that have never been done before. And every time, it’s paid off,” Bajaria said.
Among the newly announced series are The Retrievals, Barbaric, Myron Bolitar and an untitled docuseries featuring Nick Cannon. New films announced include Grown Ups 3 and A Matter of Time, while live programming additions include The Westminster Dog Show.
The company also said it will expand its NFL programming lineup in 2026 with additional live games, including the first regular season game from Australia featuring the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.
Netflix further announced renewals for several titles including Love is Blind, My Life With the Walter Boys, Quarterback and Running Point. The company also announced a global concert tour in 2027 based on KPop Demon Hunters.