In a bid to introduce users to new, original content, Netflix has decided to go ahead and introduce users to stuff like recommendations, trailers and more featured content, directly through its homepage. The company has already been acting upon this and towards the same, is now deploying pre-roll advertisements to promote Netflix series or movies.
Netflix is deploying pre-roll ads to promote series and movies that either, are already there or would be making an entrance to the market soon. Each of these previews are around 30-seconds in length and you can choose to skip playing them and directly move to your content. There is no “skip preview” to make you job easier though, and you will have to content yourself with doing the job the old-fashioned way.
The advertisements are visible on the web, as well as several TV platforms. Although, they don’t appear to have become very common yet. So Netflix appears to be still running tests with the same. Albeit the last time the company had tried its hands at pre-roll advertisements, was back in 2015.
That particular test had followed yet another experiment, wherein video trailers had appeared at the end of shows.However, they didn’t see to work very well towards attracting audience to new content, and Netflix ended up launching video previews in December, 2016.
Speaking on the topic, Netflix said:
At Netflix, we conduct hundreds of tests every year so we can learn what helps members quickly find and start their next great binge. We’ve already seen the positive effect of the video previews we rolled out last year. Now we’re experimenting with video based on personalized recommendations for shows and movies on the service or coming shortly. If we don’t test, we won’t learn and we’ll never get better, and who wants that?
The company also said that there was an consequent increase in watch-time, as users had to spend less time hunting for new stuff. And of course, there was an increase in episode completion rate as well — all in all translating to gains for the firm. The company is also curating the ads shown to you, so as to ensure the maximum probability of you and the particular show ending up together.
And yes, these ads are completely voluntary and you can opt-out anytime you want via Account >> Test Participation.
