Netflix has announced it will introduce AI-generated advertising, including pause ads, into its programming on the ad-supported tier starting in 2026. According to Media Play News, details on how these ads will target viewers remain undisclosed. It's unclear whether ads will be personalized based on watch history or the content being viewed at the time. At this stage, the mechanics and presentation of these ads are largely unknown, but their arrival is confirmed.

At a recent Upfront event for advertisers in New York City, Amy Reinhard, Netflix's President of Advertising, emphasized the company's unique blend of technology and entertainment. "Either they have great technology, or they have great entertainment," she stated. "Our superpower has always been the fact that we have both." Reinhard highlighted that compared to competitors, viewer attention on Netflix starts higher and remains higher, even extending to mid-roll ads, which garner as much attention as the shows and movies themselves.

Reinhard also shared that subscribers on the ad-supported tier spend an average of 41 hours per month on Netflix. Kotaku calculated that this translates to approximately three hours of ads per month for these viewers. This volume is significant, and the ads will be AI-generated starting in 2026.

While Netflix has yet to announce an official implementation date for this change, the integration of AI-generated ads marks a significant shift in the streaming giant's approach to its ad-supported service.