Netflix to launch AI-powered interactive midroll and pause ads by 2026
The streaming service is betting that these new interactive formats can help hold brands’ attention
Netflix plans to roll out AI-powered interactive ad formats for its ad-supported tier in 2026. These formats will include both midroll and pause ads. Amy Reinhard, President of Advertising at Netflix, explained that the formats are meant to customize advertising in real time using AI to fit into the worlds of Netflix’s shows.
Advertisers will be able to add elements such as overlays, call-to-action prompts, and second-screen buttons that appear when someone pauses a show or during an ad break. These formats will launch in all countries with Netflix's ad-supported plan.
The update was announced during Netflix’s 2025 upfront presentation in New York. At the event, the company said its ad-supported plan now boasts over 94 million global users each month. The platform also reported that users on the ad tier stream content for an average of 41 hours per month.
Capitalizing on ad-supported tier growth
Netflix is leaning into the growth of its ad-supported plan as a major opportunity to attract advertisers. The streaming platform claims that viewers pay the same level of attention to midroll ads as they do to content. “When you compare us to our competitors, attention starts higher and ends much higher,” Reinhard said.
It is still too early to say how brands will adopt these tools, but the approach reflects a broader trend among streaming and tech platforms: offering more flexible, performance-focused ad formats to compete for TV ad budgets.