Netflix announced on Wednesday that its advertising tier has successfully reached over 190 million Monthly Active Viewers (MAVs) globally. The streaming giant instituted this new metric to measure its massive ad reach in terms of the number of people rather than just accounts, emphasizing the service’s broad cultural impact.
The adoption of the Monthly Active Viewer (MAV) metric marks a strategic shift in how Netflix measures and reports its advertising success. MAV is defined by the company as the number of users who have watched at least one minute of ad-supported programming, multiplied by the average number of people in a household, based on Netflix’s rigorous internal research.
This new measurement allows Netflix to provide a “more comprehensive count of how many people” are actually engaging with content on the platform, providing advertisers with a clearer picture of reach and engagement. The expansion into advertising and video games are two strategic areas that analysts and investors view as vital for the company’s future growth.
Co-CEO Greg Peters confirmed during the company’s earnings call last month that Netflix recorded its best ad sales quarter ever in the third quarter. The company is confidently on track to more than double its ad revenue this year, demonstrating the rapid commercial success of the advertising tier.
While advertising revenue is still small compared to the substantial subscription revenue, Peters noted that Netflix has now “established the fundamentals” of the advertising business and sees significant room for sustained growth.
In a move to capitalize on live content, Netflix has begun testing Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) technology with major live sports programming, specifically WWE Raw and SmackDown, during the quarter. DAI allows Netflix to swap in specific, targeted ads for each viewer in real-time during a live stream.
The company will now officially offer this technology across six countries for the upcoming high-profile NFL Christmas Gameday: the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Germany, Mexico, and the UK. Netflix plans to scale the DAI offering across more live titles throughout 2026.
The company’s in-house advertising platform, Netflix Ads Suite, which launched in the U.S. and Canada in May, has now been successfully deployed in all 12 countries that offer the ad-supported tier.
Netflix’s rapid growth in its ad-supported tier confirms its momentum in becoming a dominant force in the global advertising market.
Key Highlights:
- Viewership Milestone: Netflix’s ad-supported tier has reached over 190 million Monthly Active Viewers (MAVs) globally, a new metric measuring reach by the number of people instead of accounts.
- Ad Revenue Growth: Co-CEO Greg Peters confirmed the third quarter was Netflix’s best ad sales quarter ever, with the company on track to more than double ad revenue this year.
- Technology Rollout: Netflix is expanding the use of Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) technology, currently testing with WWE, and planning to launch it across six countries for the NFL Christmas Gameday, with further scaling planned for 2026.
- Platform Expansion: The in-house Netflix Ads Suite is now live in all 12 countries that offer the ad-supported tier, establishing the fundamentals for future business growth.