Netflix is to start experimenting with ads

Orange Is the New Blackberry. Marco Mint Polo. It’s Always Sunny Delight In Philadelphia.

With news that Netflix are about to start testing pre and pro-roll ads, you too might start imagining a world in which we’re forced to watch commercials before our favourite shows. 

But don’t worry just yet. Targeted to a select group of online streaming users, the forthcoming ads will only be advertising Netflix-only content as opposed to anything by third-parties: “We are not planning to test or implement third-party advertising on the Netflix service," the company announced in a statement.

It continued: "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.”

Besides, who’s not to say these new ads won’t have the immersive nature of recent credits teasers we’ve seen in shows such as Better Call Saul? As episodes of the show were slowly dripped out at a rate of once a week, the impatience of viewers was ever so slightly appeased by lead actor Bob Odenkirk himself, wandering around in front of the small box telling viewers they’d only have another week to wait.

Could we have more big name actors dressed like their characters asking us to watch their shows? 

We certainly wouldn’t argue with Francis Underwood.

[Via BBC]