Netflix Unveils Exciting New Advertising and Programming at Upfronts

At Netflix’s second Upfront presentation to advertisers, the streaming giant delivered a clear and compelling message: advertising with Netflix means reaching the most engaged audience in the world. The event highlighted Netflix’s impressive growth in its ad-supported plan, innovative new advertising technology, and an exciting slate of upcoming series, movies, and live events.

Advertising Growth

Amy Reinhard, Netflix’s President of Advertising, shared the remarkable momentum of Netflix’s ad-supported plan, which now boasts 40 million global monthly active users—a significant increase from just 5 million a year ago. Over 40% of all new signups in countries where the ad plan is available now opt for this plan. Reinhard emphasized that Netflix is dedicated to providing advertisers with sophisticated tools to measure and verify the impact of their campaigns. To this end, Netflix has partnered with companies such as Affinity Solutions, DoubleVerify, EDO Inc, Integral Ad Science, iSpotTV, Kantar, Lucid, NCSolutions, Nielsen, and TVision.

New Ad Tech

Looking to the future, Reinhard announced that Netflix will launch an in-house advertising technology platform by the end of 2025. This platform will offer advertisers new ways to purchase ads, gain insights, and measure impact, all designed to enhance their advertising experience. Additionally, Netflix will expand its buying capabilities this summer to include The Trade Desk, Google’s Display & Video 360, and Magnite, alongside its existing partnership with Microsoft. Reinhard highlighted Netflix’s strategic approach to advertising, ensuring that members have a phenomenal experience while advertisers achieve their goals.

Engagement

Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, highlighted the unparalleled engagement of Netflix’s audience. “Our audiences are highly engaged,” Bajaria noted. “When people watch our shows and movies, they get more value from Netflix, they stick around longer, and they’re more likely to recommend us to their friends.” According to Nielsen, Netflix has had more top 10 titles over the past three years than all other streaming services combined. Furthermore, over 70% of Netflix’s ad-supported members watch for more than 10 hours a month, and they are twice as likely to respond to an ad compared to other streaming services and linear TV.

New Series, Movies, and Live Events

Netflix announced a diverse range of new series, movies, and live events that will delight members in 2024 and 2025. New series include “Golf” starring Will Ferrell, “Running Point” starring Kate Hudson, and “The Waterfront,” an adult family drama from Kevin Williamson. Sports fans can look forward to a new documentary series on Jerry Jones and the 1990s Dallas Cowboys, and three series in partnership with the International Olympic Committee. Upcoming films include “Happy Gilmore 2” starring Adam Sandler, “The Woman in Cabin 10” starring Keira Knightley, and a new film from Academy Award® winner Kathryn Bigelow. Excitingly, Netflix will also be the global home of the NFL’s two Christmas Day marquee games in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

The Netflix Effect

Netflix Chief Marketing Officer Marian Lee discussed the cultural impact of Netflix content, a phenomenon known as the Netflix Effect. Shows like “Emily in Paris” influence fashion, “Stranger Things” revives classic songs, and “The Queen’s Gambit” boosts chess set sales. This cultural influence extends across Netflix’s platforms, with trailers receiving billions of views and social media channels engaging a billion active followers. Lee highlighted that Netflix’s ad plan and live events offer advertisers new opportunities to engage thoughtfully with this passionate fandom.

Interactive Upfront Experience

This year, Netflix unveiled an interactive Upfront experience, allowing advertisers to engage with popular titles like “Bridgerton,” “Squid Game,” and “Wednesday.” This interactive approach underscores Netflix’s commitment to creating engaging experiences for both members and advertisers.

Upcoming 2024 Slate Highlights

Netflix also previewed its exciting slate for 2024, featuring returning favorites and new series across various genres:

• Returning Favorites: “Arcane S2,” “Cobra Kai S6,” “The Diplomat S2,” “Emily in Paris S4,” “Heartstopper S3,” “Mo S2,” “Outer Banks S4,” “Squid Game S2,” “Sweet Tooth S3,” “The Umbrella Academy S4,” “Unstable S2,” “Vikings Valhalla S3.”
• New Prestige Dramas: “American Primeval,” “Black Doves,” “Eric,” “KAOS,” “The Madness,” “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” “The Perfect Couple,” “Supacell.”
• New Comedy Series: “A Classic Spy,” “The Decameron,” “No Good Deed,” “Nobody Wants This,” “Running Point.”
• New Unscripted Series: “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” “Rhythm & Flow S2.”
• New Premium Documentaries: “Homicide: Los Angeles,” “Our Oceans,” Untitled K Pop doc series.
• New Sports Series: “Receiver,” Untitled 2004 Red Sox Series.
• New Live Events: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson.
• Select Upcoming Films: “Atlas,” “Back in Action,” “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” “Carry-On,” “Family Affair,” “Hit Man,” “Hot Frosty,” “The Merry Gentleman,” “The Piano Lesson,” “Rez Ball,” “The Six Triple Eight,” “Woman of the Hour.”
• Non-English Language Content: “100 Years of Solitude” (Colombia), “Breathless” (Spain), “Do Patti” (Indonesia), “Élite S8” (Spain), “El Eternauta” (Argentina), “Ferry 2” (Belgium), “Gyeongseong Creature S2” (Korea), “LALIGA: All Access” (Spain), “Pedro Páramo” (Mexico), “Senna” (Brazil), “Tour de France: Unchained S2” (France), “The Empress S2” (Germany), “The Helicopter Heist” (Sweden), “The Law According to Lidia Poët S2” (Italy), “The Queen of Villains” (Japan), “Uprising” (Korea).

By the Numbers

• Advertising Stats:
  • Netflix’s ad-supported plan has 40 million monthly active users.
  • Over 40% of all signups in Netflix’s ads markets come from the ad-supported plan.
  • Ad-supported members have a higher household income and a median age of 37.
  • Over 70% of ad-supported members watch for more than 10 hours a month.
  • More than half watch for over 20 hours per month.
  • Netflix ad-supported members pay more attention three hours into watching compared to other services.
• Programming Stats:
  • Netflix has 270 million subscribers.
  • In 2024, Netflix has more hours in the Top 10 than any other streaming service combined.
  • Over the last three years, Netflix has had more Top 10 titles than every other streaming service combined.
  • In 2023, Netflix members watched 183 billion hours of content.

Netflix’s Upfront presentation showcased its continued dominance in the streaming industry, with a focus on growth, innovation, and engaging content that captivates audiences worldwide.