TechNews on May 16th - Netflix announced on Wednesday that the ad-supported subscription tier now has over 40 million monthly active users globally, in markets with the ad tier, 40% of registered users opt for cheaper plans.
Netflix's data announced in January showed that the global monthly active users for this subscription tier were 23 million, meaning that in just a few months, the number of monthly active users choosing this subscription has almost doubled.
TapTechNews learned from official channels that the company will also launch its own advertising platform, no longer working with Microsoft to provide the technology. Microsoft will still be the programmatic advertising partner, but other ad tech companies including TheTradeDesk, GoogleDisplay&Video360, and Magnite will also join in.
Netflix will begin testing its ad tech platform in Canada later this year and plans to launch the platform in the US by the end of the second quarter of next year. The company aims to enable the platform everywhere by the end of 2025.
Earlier on Wednesday, the company announced an agreement to air two National Football League (NFL) games this Christmas and at least one game on the same day in 2025 and 2026.
This marks Netflix's first major foray into sports broadcasting after years of resistance. It turns out that sports, especially the NFL, is the glue that keeps traditional TV intact and a booster for streaming services.