Netflix has made a number of users unhappy after rolling out advertisements on the platform. While the streaming giant won’t be allowing any third-party advertisements to market products and services, users are reporting ads of the platform’s TV shows and movies are popping up between episodes.
Netflix is testing advertisements on the platform for a limited number of users only as of now. A user explained how the new adverts work in a post on Reddit. As soon as you finish an episode of any of your favorite TV shows, the streaming service starts buffering the next episode. During the time that the platform buffers your next episode, you will see advertisements for other TV shows that you may be interested in. All advertisements will be for shows and movies that Netflix directly funded and not third-party licenses that are exclusive to the platform.
The advertisements are still in a testing phase across several countries, and there is no word on when the service will go live. Considering the amount of backlash Netflix is facing with the rollout of ads on the platform, it is unknown if the feature will see a widespread rollout. Fortunately, the advertisements are skippable, and users can simply let the next episode start streaming instead of waiting for buffering or seeing the advertisements.
If ads do become a part of the platform, Netflix is yet to officially state if third parties will be allowed for advertising in the future. Depending on the user engagement and feedback, the streaming giant will decide the fate of the feature. A Netflix official revealed, “We are testing whether surfacing recommendations between episodes helps members discover stories they will enjoy faster.”
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