What you need to know
- Netflix announced that it plans to introduce even more advertising on its service, such as in its Clips feed and podcasts.
- During his upfront event, he said that his ads now reach “250 million global monthly active users”, but it looks like he wants to put the pedal to the metal.
- Netflix saw a notable 16% year-over-year increase in Q4 2025, but it also saw a big increase in revenue thanks to ads; However, prices still rose in March.
Netflix highlighted what’s coming to the service this week, and much to viewers’ disappointment, more commercials are on the way.
A post by The Verge Highlight what Netflix discussed during its advance eventStating that the service is preparing to bring even more ads. The streaming platform announced that it will bring advertising to users in its “Clips” feed, as well as launch a selection for its podcasts. On a related note, Netflix credited the use of AI as a driving force behind making advertising easier for companies.
The company has mentioned refining the look of its vertical ads (possibly in preparation for adding the Clips feed) and using AI to help “prevent ads.”
Netflix, on the other hand, pointed out how well its ads have performed recently. according to its postIts ads now reach “250 million global monthly active viewers. These audiences are deeply engaged: more than 80% of ad subscribers are actively watching every week.” Of course, this comes off the back of its ad-supported tier. Netflix says this positive performance has led it to introduce this ad tier in 15 more countries around the world, including Colombia, Ireland, Peru, Norway, and the Philippines.
Things get interesting when you take into account how well Netflix performed at the end of 2025.
Major revenue, but prices still increased
Now, we are preparing for more. This narrative becomes even more interesting when you remember (how can we forget?) that it just raised prices. In late March, the Standard plan increased from $7.99 to $8.99 with advertising. Elsewhere, the standard ad-free plan rose $2 to $19.99, while Premium (4K, spatial audio) rose $2 to $26.99. Netflix is already starting to seem a little more expensive, leading consumers to move towards more money-conscious options.
Android Central’s Tech
From a consumer perspective, I find it strange that we keep seeing all these price increases even if the platform is performing well? Ad revenues were expected to account for $1.5 billion by the end of 2025, yet it’s the viewers who are stuck with the high prices. It takes anyone by surprise Why. Of course, they have said that higher prices help in providing better quality ingredients and so on. Is that still the case? Is this something that consumers will sit back and say, “You know, this makes sense.” I’m not so sure. I think we’re reaching a point where it’s too much (I mean, $27 for 4K, or even $20 for regular/no-ads is a bit much, no?).
