Netflix is testing out video ads that push its home-grown content, it’s been revealed.
In recent weeks, a small number of Netflix users have reported seeing ads on their streaming video service.
Apparently, in such cases, unskippable Netflix Originals show trailers are being run prior to the start of selected content. This appears to have happened on Xbox One consoles (where there appear to be post-roll ads too), Roku and Tivo.
This would appear to run contrary to CEO Reed Hastings’s repeated assertions that his company would never turn to advertising to get by.
When asked about these recent tests, Netflix refuted that they were even ads. “They’re not ads in the traditional sense. They are trailers for Netflix originals,” the company told The Verge.
Hastings himself has taken to his Facebook profile to issue the same denial: “No advertising coming onto Netflix. Period.
Just adding relevant cool trailers for other Netflix content you are likely to love,” he said.
Read More: What to watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video
So is the fact that the product being ad… er, promoted is the very service you’re using make them any more acceptable or desirable?
Netflix has also pointed out that its tests often fail to lead to anything concrete. “We are always testing new things via the service, many of which never see a rollout,” the company told Cord Cutter News.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
