Netflix has announced plans to expand its advertising tier to 15 new countries in 2027, including three Southeast Asian markets.
These markets include Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand. The expansion brings the number of ad-supported countries to 27.
At Netflix's fourth annual Upfront presentation on May 13, president of ads Amy Reinhard opened with a direct pitch to advertisers. "If the last couple of years were about proving we're a durable player, this year is about establishing ourselves as a formidable one," she said.
"We've proven we're effective, and now we're expanding ads to more places and we're ready to compete with anyone," she added.
Netflix's ad-supported tier now reaches more than 250 million global monthly active viewers, with over 80% of ad-tier members are actively watching every week. The streaming giant's ad revenue more than doubled to US$1.5 billion in 2025, with the company targeting US$3 billion in 2026.
Reinhard told Campaign in January that Netflix's advertising revenue trajectory is growing off a "relatively low base" with significant excess capacity.
"We've talked publicly about seeing more than two-times revenue growth in 2025," she said, adding that she expected the momentum to continue. "As you get bigger, it gets harder to grow, but we are very encouraged by the amount of new advertisers we’re bringing on and what we’ve been able to do with our endeavours and our up-front negotiations."
In APAC, 50% of new sign-ups are already choosing the ad-supported plan across existing markets, according to Netflix's APAC head of ad sales Mitchell Kreuch. Netflix completed its programmatic rollout across Japan, South Korea, and Australia last year, giving media buyers access via The Trade Desk in all three markets.
Meanwhile, Netflix is also opening new ad inventory formats globally in 2027, with video podcasts and vertical videos to begin carrying ads from next year. The company is also expanding brand partnership opportunities on Tudum, its official fan site, which generates more than 24 million views per month.
The company's in-house Ads Suite, which was launched in 2024 and live across all ad-supported markets, gives advertisers targeting capabilities and programmatic access via Amazon DSP and Yahoo DSP.
"We've got cutting-edge technology, we've got great entertainment across shows, movies, podcasts, and live events, and we've got the most engaged and attentive audience," Reinhard added.
