Netflix Is Experimenting With Advertising

derekmead writes: Netflix is experimenting with pre-roll and post-roll advertisements for some of its users. For now, it's just pitching it's own original programming. However, many are concerned that they plan to serve third-party ads, but the company says they have no plans to do so. They told Mashable in a statement: "We are not planning to test or implement third-party advertising on the Netflix service. For some time, we've teased Netflix originals with short trailers after a member finishes watching a show. Some members in a limited test now are seeing teases before a show begins. We test hundreds of potential improvements to the service every year. Many never extend beyond that."

Comments

In other words

[MightyMartian]

In other words, within a year or two we will be rolling out ads that you will be forced to watch before you can view the programming you pay a subscription fee for.

Re:In other words

[JMJimmy]

In other words, I'll be moving to the next service that does not advertise. Or just torrent/stream (with adblock of course).

Re:In other words

[Anonymous Coward]

Exactly, the reason I pay them is to avoid the shit.

Netflix, this is the quickest way you can loose customers.

I stopped buying DVDs because of the forced trailers which are completely meaningless 6 months later and are just plain bloody annoying after that.

Maybe...just maybe actors etc are not worth the millions you pay them. Perhaps that is the "New" business model where Millions of dollars can be saved.

Re: In other words

[AvitarX]

I really hope they don't do pre show ads, hbo does it, and it's a huge pain.

It's doubly a pain to see the same ones when binge watching.

I understand why hbo does this, they need to alert you to new content to keep you interested, but Netflix already does this on the home screen. They don't need to do ads, even for content I want to know about, before I watch something (I'm fine with it afterwards).

Re: In other words

[Qzukk]

It's doubly a pain to see the same ones when binge watching.

Those are absolutely the worst. Watching the same preview the second time is almost as bad as when I pull out a years old DVD and have* to sit through ancient trailers before I can start watching the movie. By the third time I see the same preview the same day, it's worse.

*: or use a non-compliant DVD player that allows skipping this shit. Either/or.

Re: In other words

[JMJimmy]

I'd be up for it if they cut the price by 50% for those that are willing to see them, otherwise they can take their ads and shove them up their ass.

That's the slippery slope that led to Cable TV.

Re:In other words

[Anubis IV]

Bingo. I've had an account on Hulu since it was back in closed beta, but I never "upgraded" to their for-pay Hulu Plus service because they don't remove the ads. It's just there for when I feel like having something running on the second monitor and don't really care what it is. I don't care about watching the latest and greatest, so Netflix has me covered with years of content that I'll never get through fully. If Netflix stops being awesome, I'll hop over to Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, the rumored YouTube paid subscription, or one of the other services that competes in this space. If those end up being too costly or not-awesome, I'll simply start playing more games and working on more side projects.

At this point, I really don't tolerate paying places that treat me as anything other than a valued customer. As it is, for $5-10, I can...
1) Enjoy a 40-hour game from Steam.
2) Enjoy a film or two at the local theaters (yes, it's that cheap here).
3) Enjoy two or three rented films via streaming.
4) Enjoy an entire month of ad-free Netflix.
5) Enjoy a multitude of snacks while coding for fun.
6) Enjoy a light meal with friends.
7) Waste 20-25% of my time watching ads on Hulu for content I would have already paid for.

One of those is not like the other. Netflix is not just competing against Hulu, and they need to remember that. They're competing against every other hobby their users have. Right now, they treat me well and do so for a good price, but if Netflix wants to join Hulu in treating their customers as their products, then I'll gladly say "bon voyage".

Re: In other words

[the_Bionic_lemming]

Same here. I pay Netflix for ad free viewing.

I will stop paying for netflix when it's not ad free viewing.

Ads are meant to pay for shows. I should not be forced to pay to watch ads.

We cut the cord because of ads - not because we're willing to pay for ad free content. If comcast served up all of its content adfree - I'd jump right into comcast.

It's that simple.

Free TV can have ads.

Commercial free tv can charge for content.

This is what the consumer wants.

Just in case this isn't very clear:

[xtal]

We will HAPPILY PAY MORE MONEY if you explain your circumstances.

We do not want to watch ads. Full up.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
The Internet.

Re:Exactly.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not fucking entitlement, it's recognizing what you're paying for. ADS for a PAID SERVICE is DOUBLE DIPPING. Full stop. Cable is just as scummy, and the only reason the companies get away with it is that TV is a widespread addiction stronger than heroin.

Re:Exactly.

[ArchieBunker]

Maybe because the original intent of cable tv was you paid a subscription which pays for the shows. No advertisements needed. The big networks still broadcast over the air for free. If you bring in advertising then you clearly don't need my subscription costs.

Re:Exactly.

[0100010001010011]

cable tv you see ads.

You know Cable TV started on the premise of "no ads", right? Now they have nothing but ad channels. The 80s were a glorious, ad free, time all supported by your monthly payment.