As far as original streaming titles go, Netflix has some of the most popular in the entire industry. Shows like “Bridgerton,” “Squid Game,” and “Stranger Things” attract huge audiences, and the release of new seasons is treated by some as an out-and-out holiday. According to new data from Ampere Analysis, Netflix knows just how special its originals are; in fact, the streamer puts more ads on its original titles than it does on licensed shows and movies.
According to Ampere’s data, Netflix comes with 12% more ads on original shows and movies than on licensed ones. This comes out to around 3.78 ads per hour of content on original titles, versus 3.33 on licensed titles. That’s admittedly a pretty small difference, so small that I didn’t even notice it when measuring how many ads per hour Netflix shows with its content. It’s likely that most customers don’t notice the difference either, but it is there, according to Ampere.
The data shows that Netflix is one of just two streamers that puts more ads on original content. Prime Video is the other; that streamer places 10.4 ads per hour of content on originals, versus 9.8 per hour on licensed. Every other service tends to put more ads on licensed shows and movies, according to Ampere’s data.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Ampere’s data shows that HBO Max puts almost 20% more ads on licensed titles than it does on original shows and movies. That was actually the opposite of the observation I made when testing the streamer, which could indicate that HBO Max has changed its ad practices for licensed versus original content in the past few months. We do know that HBO Max has upped the number of ads per hour that it offers in general, so perhaps it took the opportunity to make some other shifts as well.
Why would a streamer put more ads on original content than on licensed shows and movies? For one, streaming services use their original titles to lure viewers into their services. They know a premium original has a better chance of attracting big viewership numbers, and putting more ads on these titles is a good way to ask for more money from advertisers.
It’s not just the quantity of viewership either; it’s the quality. Audiences are more likely to lean forward and pay attention to original shows and the ads that go along with them. Licensed titles are accompanied by more lean-back viewing, where viewers pay less attention because it’s a title they’re familiar with and don’t feel as much need to lean forward to and watch closely.
All in all, it’s a shrewd strategy to put more ads with streaming originals, even if audiences may look askance at the practice. Netflix is usually a trend-setter in the industry, and if it puts more ads with its originals than it does with licensed titles, more streamers may adopt the same practice going forward as well. The Streamable