Netflix boosts ad sales by 150% in upfront deals

Netflix’s second year of upfront negotiations has been a standout success, according to the company. The company revealed that its recent upfront negotiations have yielded a 150% increase in ad sales commitments compared to the previous year.

“We closed deals with all major holding companies, as well as independent agencies, with a 150%-plus increase in upfront ad sales commitments over 2023, in line with our expectations,” Amy Reinhard, Netflix Advertising President said.

The company has also secured 40 million active subscribers globally on its ad-supported tier, with 45% of new signups. 

Reasons for Netflix's growth in ad sales commitments

Netflix, which recently dropped its pricing to less than $30 CPM, said that the reason for the growth is the platform's expanding appeal across various advertising sectors, including CPG, Tech & Entertainment, Auto, QSR, and Retail. 

Also, the streaming platform secured partnerships for highly anticipated content, including popular series and live events. High-profile shows such as Squid Game, Wednesday, and Bridgerton will feature prominent title sponsors, including Pure Leaf and Amazon Audible.

“Just last week we partnered with LVMH, COTY Gucci, Kaiku Caffee Latte, Aeromexico, Google, and Rakuten for the highly anticipated return of Emily in Paris,”  the streaming platform said. 

Additionally, major live events, such as WWE Raw and the NFL Christmas Day games, are set to draw significant viewer engagement which might further enhance Netflix's advertising value.

Expanding ad tech and measurement capabilities

The company is set to launch its in-house ad tech platform in 2025, with a preliminary test phase starting in Canada this November.

Netflix is also advancing its ad offerings with the introduction of new buying and measurement tools. Advertisers can now set up private marketplace deals directly through platforms like The Trade Desk and Google’s Display & Video 360. 

The company has integrated new tools like Google's Campaign Manager 360 and Innovid for verifying ad impressions. 

Programmatic and verification solutions

Netflix has been running programmatic ad campaigns with major advertisers like Expedia, Ford, T-Mobile, Mercedes-Benz, Novartis, and American Eagle in the US, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico and plans to extend this to more countries soon. 

The company is also rolling out programmatic solutions and expanding measurement partnerships with NielsenOne, Lucid, and other industry leaders. These developments aim to provide more precise ad targeting, verification, and performance insights.

Additionally, Netflix expanded its partnerships with DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science to cover fraud and viewability checks in programmatic advertising which will be accessible across all ad-buying channels from October. 

Global reach and future innovations

Netflix’s ad-supported plan will soon be integrated into the UK’s Barb’s Advance Campaign Hub, streamlining campaign planning for UK advertisers. 

The platform’s Clean Rooms, developed in collaboration with Snowflake, InfoSum, and LiveRamp, will offer secure environments for audience analysis and campaign measurement, ensuring privacy and data security.