"Netflix Plans AI-Generated Ads for 2026"

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 a report from Media Play News, details on how these ads will target viewers remain sparse. It's unclear whether the ads will be tailored based on a user's watch history or the content currently being viewed. At this stage, the specifics of how these ads will function behind the scenes or be displayed to users are largely unknown.

During a recent Upfront for advertisers event in New York City, Amy Reinhard, Netflix's President of Advertising, highlighted the company's unique position. She stated, "Either they have great technology, or they have great entertainment. Our superpower has always been the fact that we have both." Reinhard emphasized that Netflix's ad-supported tier subscribers engage more with the platform, watching an average of 41 hours per month. This translates to approximately three hours of ads per month, as calculated by Kotaku, which is significant even without the integration of AI.

Reinhard also noted the effectiveness of mid-roll ads on Netflix, stating, "When you compare us to our competitors, attention starts higher and ends much higher. And even more impressive, members pay as much attention to mid-roll ads as they do to the shows and movies themselves." While Netflix has yet to announce an official implementation date for these AI-generated ads, the change is set to take effect in 2026.