Netflix has begun testing a new feature recently, but it’s not one you’re gonna wanna see. The service is running ads in between episodes of the series you binge-watch.
[jwplayer sKZZk6x3]
If you’re one of the lucky people who cop the test, you’ll see the ads appear at the end of an episode before the next one plays, spruiking any number of Netflix Originals, whether it’s another series or a movie. According to those who’ve seen it, the screen will say something like, “More [whatever you were watching] up next… but first, check out [whatever Netflix thinks you’ll like].”
You’ll then be played the trailer for the recommended show, but you can choose to skip after a few seconds if you’d like. It sounds pretty benign, but no one likes to be served ads, particularly when you’re already paying for the service. Folks have taken to Twitter to share their disdain for the tests.
https://twitter.com/hypothetical6/status/1030547655791968256
https://twitter.com/DreaTheRobot/status/1030859240573812736
Hey @netflix putting ads for your other shows between episode of something I am watching ruins what makes Netflix good. It makes me want to switch to other services. Please stop.
— Adam (@Fictonia) August 17, 2018
https://twitter.com/libbycwatson/status/1030507925490556929
Hey Netflix, if you run ads I can guarantee I’m going to cancel my subscription.
— Bardeaux (@bardowu) August 19, 2018
Some are even saying the ads are unskippable, but no one has confirmed that just yet. “We are testing whether surfacing recommendations between episodes helps members discover stories they will enjoy faster,” the company said in a statement to Ars Technica.
“A couple of years ago, we introduced video previews to the TV experience, because we saw that it significantly cut the time members spend browsing and helped them find something they would enjoy watching even faster.”
There’s no word on how long the testing will last and whether the ads have any chance of becoming a permanent fixture on the platform, but it has said it’ll be monitoring feedback on social channels, so if you feel particularly pissed off about the idea, you can tweet them or whatever.
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