Netflix introduces Monthly Active Viewers metric as ads reach 190 million a month

New Delhi: Netflix said its ad-supported offering now reaches more than 190 million Monthly Active Viewers (MAVs) globally, introducing MAV as a new, viewer-based reach metric as it wraps the third season of its ads business and enters the fourth. 

The company defined MAV as members who watch at least one minute of ads in a month multiplied by an estimated average household co-viewing factor derived from first-party research.

The streamer said it has “thousands” of advertisers worldwide and has deployed the Netflix Ads Suite, its first-party ad-tech platform, in all 12 ad-supported countries. 

Programmatic access has widened to Amazon, AJA, Google Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk and Yahoo DSP, while partnerships now span more than 50 global ad-measurement vendors.

With the foundational stack in place, Netflix is revisiting how it counts ads reach and is moving from account-profile proxies to a viewer-level approach. The shift, it said, provides a clearer picture of “who is on the couch” and better aligns with how marketers plan for cross-screen campaigns.

On formats, Netflix is piloting modular, interactive video ads in the US and Canada that adapt creative elements to viewing behaviour; a global rollout is planned by Q2 2026. 

In parallel, the company is enhancing targeting in four areas via the Ads Suite: expanded advanced demographics (including education, marital status and household income); a global LiveRamp integration for first-party audience onboarding across Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain and the UK; new in-market segments (such as luxury vehicles, travel packages and dining experiences); and a planning API for agencies that uses real-time forecasting. These capabilities are available in the US now and are slated to go global in 2026.

Measurement partnerships are also broadening. In France, Netflix and Médiamétrie will run a bi-annual cross-video audience study (“Watch”); in Japan, Macromill’s log-based Brand Lift Solution will be available early next year. In Mexico and Brazil, Netflix is working with Amplified Intelligence and Alter Agents (Brazil only) on attention outcomes. In the US, Kantar’s Brand Lift has been expanded via tagless direct integration, with iSpot providing reach, frequency and attribution. Across EMEA, a direct integration with AudienceProject will support granular reporting.

For live programming, Netflix is scaling dynamic ad insertion (DAI). After tests with WWE Raw and SmackDown this quarter, the company will offer DAI across the US, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Mexico and the UK for its upcoming NFL Christmas Gameday, and plans to extend DAI to more live titles in 2026.

The ad slate will be paired with brand partnerships around tentpoles: the final season of Stranger Things (including custom-flavoured Doritos, a revival of Gatorade Citrus Cooler, a Target takeover in the US, plus Fiat, Nestlé and Unilever tie-ins in Latin America), a 360° collaboration with Peroni Nastro Azzurro around Emily in Paris, and integrations around NFL Christmas Gameday with partners including FanDuel, Verizon, Accenture and Tide.

Netflix added that its ads plan continues to support a lower-priced membership while introducing features like “Moments,” which lets members save favourite scenes from shows and films. The company said it remains “energised by consistent growth” and will build on the new metric, formats and measurement architecture as it enters its next season.