Netflix’s ad business is scaling up—but format expansion will decide how fast

The news: Netflix disclosed that advertising revenues grew roughly 2.5 times in 2025 to about $1.5 billion, and management expects that figure could roughly double again in 2026.

  • While ads remain a smaller share of total revenues than subscriptions, executives described advertising as one of Netflix’s fastest-growing businesses.
  • Management cautioned that larger distribution or partnership opportunities, including any upside tied to Warner Bros. Discovery assets, are unlikely to materially influence ad revenues until 2027 or later.
  • Executives repeatedly tied ad growth to product decisions, emphasizing that expanding content options is essential to unlocking further advertiser demand.

Driving growth: Netflix could be betting on investments in video podcasts, new ad-friendly formats, and a push into vertical video as drivers of ad revenue growth.

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