Netflix is marking the two-year anniversary of its launch of advertising by revealing that its ad tier now reaches 70 million monthly active users globally, up from 40 million as of mid-May.
The plan also accounts for more than 50% of new signups in the territories where the advertising option is available, Netflix said.
More from Deadline
Given the price point of $7 a month in the U.S., which is at the low end of the general-entertainment streaming market, the ad-backed tier has been a consistent driver of overall subscription growth. The company has added more than 35 million subscribers during the past year. It does not break out subscribers by tier, and in 2025 will stop reporting subscriber numbers altogether.
The stats and a number of other updates were shared in a blog post this morning by Amy Reinhard, President of Advertising at Netflix. “There has been continuous momentum over the last two years, but we’re just getting started and can’t wait to see what’s to come,” she wrote.
One major initiative for 2024 is Netflix’s first broadcast of a major sports league’s games, with a Christmas Day doubleheader initiating a multi-year rights deal with the NFL.
RELATED: Netflix NFL Games Will Cost About The Same As “One Of Our Medium-Sized Original Films,” Exec Says
Netflix said it has sold out of in-game ad inventory for the two live games, with buyers including FanDuel and Verizon. FanDuel will be the exclusive pregame sportsbook betting partner, sponsoring an in-show feature with unspecified Netflix Christmas Gameday talent offering analysis and predictions using FanDuel betting odds.
The streaming giant said it has partnered with Nielsen to measure the games, following in Amazon’s footsteps with its Nielsen-tracked Thursday night games on Prime Video. A different vendor, VideoAmp, has been enlisted to measure the WWE’s Monday Night Raw, which will debut on Netflix in January.
RELATED: David Fincher Eyeing New ‘Squid Game’ Series As Next Project At Netflix – The Dish
While sports and other live events are key programming elements, a number of scripted titles are being positioned as draws for advertisers. For Squid Game‘s upcoming second season, Reinhard said Netflix has sold spots to a range of brands in its 12 ad-supported countries, including Kia, which is behind the company’s first single-title sponsorship in Korea. The automaker and Netflix teamed on a three-part custom ad and will host an experiential pop-up at Kia Unplugged Ground, the company’s cultural complex in Seoul.