Netflix’s ad-supported tier is becoming an advertising powerhouse.
The company introduced a new metric called monthly active viewers (MAV), reporting 190 million ad-tier viewers across 12 countries.
This metric counts users who watched at least one minute of ad-supported content, multiplied by Netflix’s estimated average household size.
How Netflix defines a “viewer”
President of advertising Amy Reinhard said the one-minute threshold was chosen after internal debate, adding that it best represents an engaged viewing session.
Netflix previously reported 170 million ad-supported viewers in May, but that number didn’t include the new one-minute qualifier. The latest figure, using the updated MAV approach, shows a more consistent and transparent measure of who’s actually watching ads on the platform.
Advertising impact
The company said the MAV system will not directly change how ads are sold but will offer advertisers clearer insight into reach and engagement quality. This adds a standardized benchmark across global regions, allowing brands to evaluate campaign effectiveness using comparable data.
For Netflix, this adjustment marks a steady move toward accountability. Streaming services are under pressure to justify ad rates, and advertisers are prioritizing measurable metrics over traditional view estimates.
Strategic outlook
By defining engagement more clearly, Netflix is setting a precedent for how other platforms may track ad-supported performance.
Advertisers are showing growing confidence in measurable engagement across fragmented streaming platforms.
Read more signals of industry disruption.
Reference
Porter, R. (2025, November 5). Netflix claims 190 million ad-tier viewers worldwide under new metric. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-190-million-ad-tier-viewers-worldwide-1236418988/
