Netflix Says Ad Tier Reaches 70 Million Users Globally

variety.com:

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Netflix, a company that once dismissed the concept of allowing commercials around its popular streaming content, now can’t seem to get enough of them.

The streaming giant said Tuesday that its ad-supported tier now reaches 70 million users around the globe, compared with the 40 million it revealed in May and the 22 million it cited in January — a growth trajectory that big marketers want to see before they take Netflix’s advertising options more seriously.

Netflix continues “to see steady progress across all countries’ member bases,” said Amy Reinhard, president of advertising at Netflix, in a statement. “Now, over 50% of new Netflix sign-ups are for the ads plan in ad-supported countries.” While Netflix’ global numbers are impressive, most marketers don’t make global ad buys, choosing to aim different promotional messages in specific geographic regions, and media buyers in the U.S.

have indicated that advertisers want to see the Netflix ad tier generate more impressions overall. But the growth in ad-tier subscribers has been sustained, which could spark new interest from Madison Avenue.