It was only a matter of time. Netflix has more than 100 million users on its streaming platform... which is interpreted as 100 million potential customers for other products. The introduction of advertising is just an experiment at this point, and it focuses on small previews of 30 seconds that recommend some of its internal productions. Users can opt out of the trial by indicating the opt-out in their personal accounts, but something tells me Netflix is playing with fire here.
Honestly, there is no point in reviewing Netflix's advantages over traditional cable. They are compelling no matter how you look at them, and unless the company makes a serious mistake, nothing will change in the short term. However... several reports on the web talk about the presence of advertising before starting a series or movie. It is a small preview, which lasts no more than 30 seconds. Everything seems to indicate that the content of these previews is based on series and movies produced by Netflix, and although they cannot be skipped, a little fast forwarding should be enough.
This is not the first time Netflix has explored this territory. In June 2015, the feature was called "Trailers", and it appeared on alternative devices like Roku and TiVo. The reception was cold back then, and the same thing has happened now. Netflix confirmed through an official spokesperson that we are dealing with a test. The service conducts dozens of them per year, and its statement ends by saying, "if we don't try, we don't learn, and we don't get better." It is assumed that the content is presented uniquely to each user, which automatically makes us think of history analysis.
Two years ago, CEO Reed Hastings posted on Facebook that Netflix would not have external advertising. I think it's going to be critical to repeat that message, because some users of the service are quite angry. It's also easy to understand the temptation: Netflix has 100 million users under its wing, and I imagine there are several brands very interested in placing their products there, but the last thing it should do is behave like cable. It needs to tread carefully from now on, and improve its communication. To close, the option that disables participation in the service's tests is found within each account.
