Source: TheDrum
With news spreading Netflix is adding ads, the streaming service has stepped in to set the record straight – it’s testing skippable video promotions between episodes and movies.
Introduced quietly last week, Reddit users sparked confusion when some claimed they saw a video in between episodes they weren’t able to skip, while others spotted a ‘skip’ button.
With users threatening to quit over the addition of ads, Netflix issued a statement on Friday reading, “we are testing whether surfacing recommendations between episodes helps members discover stories they will enjoy faster. It is important to note that a member is able to skip a video preview at anytime if they are not interested.”
A spokesperson for Netflix added the videos were not ads or commercials, but personalised recommendations for other shows and movies on the service. They claimed it conducts hundreds of tests per year, most of which aren’t adopted.
The addition of video previews that play while browsing were added in 2016, with Netflix revealing they cut down the amount of time people spent browsing “significantly”. Since then it has been experimenting with different kinds of video such as this.
