Netflix has announced plans to introduce AI-generated advertising, including pause ads, within its programming on the ad-supported tier starting in 2026. According to Media Play News, the specifics of how these ads will target viewers remain undisclosed. It's unclear whether the ads will be personalized based on viewers' watch history or the content they are currently watching. At this stage, little is known about the backend mechanics or the presentation of these ads, but their arrival is confirmed.
During the recent Upfront for advertisers event in New York City, Amy Reinhard, President of Advertising at Netflix, emphasized the company's unique position. "Either they have great technology, or they have great entertainment," she stated. "Our superpower has always been the fact that we have both." Reinhard highlighted that Netflix's ad-supported tier subscribers watch an average of 41 hours of content per month. Kotaku calculated this translates to approximately three hours of ads per month, a significant amount even without AI integration. However, starting in 2026, these ads will indeed be AI-generated.
Reinhard also noted that when compared to competitors, viewer attention on Netflix starts higher and remains elevated throughout. Impressively, she added, "members pay as much attention to mid-roll ads as they do to the shows and movies themselves." While an official implementation date for the AI-generated ads has not yet been announced, the shift is set to occur in 2026.
