--- title: Netflix Is Testing Ads in Certain Markets description: Netflix is testing ads for its original programs in certain markets canonical: https://time.com/3903995/netflix-testing-commercials/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-01T19:59:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:05:34.642Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Netflix Is Testing Something You May Not Like og:description: Netflix is testing ads for its original programs in certain markets og:url: https://time.com/3903995/netflix-testing-commercials/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10dc33d5ebee63ee/6987eb6c35ba6f2c76c0ae79/netflix-1280x720.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Netflix 1280X720 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Netflix Is Testing Something You May Not Like twitter:description: Netflix is testing ads for its original programs in certain markets twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10dc33d5ebee63ee/6987eb6c35ba6f2c76c0ae79/netflix-1280x720.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Netflix Is Testing Something You May Not Like ## Video: Netflix Shares Plunge After Slow Subscriber Growth [Watch (HLS stream): Netflix Shares Plunge After Slow Subscriber Growth](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GkFG0MY7.m3u8) (1:46)  _Published 2014-10-16. Netflix shares dropped a whopping 26% after its earnings report was released late Wednesday driving its stock price backward by more than $100._ by [Tom Huddleston/Fortune](https://time.com/author/fortune/) ## Tom Huddleston/Fortune Jun 1, 2015 7:59 PM UTC  by [Tom Huddleston/Fortune](https://time.com/author/fortune/) ## Tom Huddleston/Fortune Jun 1, 2015 7:59 PM UTC Your next Netflix binge could include an unexpected feature: commercials. The popular online video streaming site is testing ads that appear before or after shows, according to [Motherboard](http://motherboard.vice.com/read/netflix-is-experimenting-with-advertisements). The ads, which vary in length, have only promoted Netflix’s original programming. The Netflix test has been going on for at least a week, according to Cord Cutters News, which [first reported the ads](http://cordcuttersnews.com/netflix-starts-testing-pre-roll-ads/). The company confirmed the limited ad run to Motherboard, adding in a statement: “As with any Netflix product test, this may never come to all our members.” If Netflix decides to fully roll out ads for its own programs, then the company would be following a similar ad model used by HBO, which shows ads for its own series and films both on TV and through the cable network’s online streaming platforms. Of course, one of the reasons Netflix has been able to grow its huge global subscriber base (60 million users and climbing) is because so many customers are [willing to pay for ad-free content](http://fortune.com/2012/07/02/analyst-parents-use-netflix-to-avoid-commercials/). But the company could be leaving a lot of money on the table by doing without commercials, especially from third parties. So far, the commercials have been tested in a limited number of markets with a fraction of the service’s subscribers. Motherboard’s Jason Koebler adds: --- > “” --- Netflix CEO Reed Hastings denied in a Facebook post that Netflix would broadcast commercials from outside companies. Instead, he said the ads would be limited to trailers for Netflix-produced shows. “No advertising coming onto Netflix. Period,” Hastings said. “Just adding relevant cool trailers for other Netflix content you are likely to love.” _(The original story was updated with comment from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings)_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3903995/netflix-testing-commercials/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3903995/netflix-testing-commercials/"},"headline":"Netflix Is Testing Something You May Not Like","datePublished":"2015-06-01T19:59:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:05:34.642Z","description":"Netflix is testing ads for its original programs in certain markets","url":"https://time.com/3903995/netflix-testing-commercials/","keywords":["Netflix","Tech","HBO","Advertising","pubdesk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10dc33d5ebee63ee/6987eb6c35ba6f2c76c0ae79/netflix-1280x720.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tom Huddleston/Fortune"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10dc33d5ebee63ee/6987eb6c35ba6f2c76c0ae79/netflix-1280x720.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Netflix 1280X720","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/netflix/","name":"Netflix"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3903995/netflix-testing-commercials/","name":"Netflix Is Testing Something You May Not Like"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Netflix Shares Plunge After Slow Subscriber Growth","description":"Netflix shares dropped a whopping 26% after its earnings report was released late Wednesday driving its stock price backward by more than $100.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/GkFG0MY7/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-10-16T17:49:56.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GkFG0MY7.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3903995/netflix-testing-commercials/","duration":"PT1M46S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3903995/netflix-testing-commercials/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```