INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Netflix is testing video promos that play in between episodes of shows a viewer is streaming, the company confirmed to TechCrunch
The promos are full-screen videos, personalized to the user, featuring content Netflix would have otherwise suggested elsewhere in its user
interface & like on a row of recommendations, for example
The promos also displace the preview information for the next episode being binged, like the title, description, and thumbnail that
previously appeared on the right side of the screen.
The test was first spotted by Cord Cutters News, followinga Reddit thread filled with
A number of Twitter users areangrily tweeting about the change, too
(See below examples.)
We understand the introduction of promos in between the episodes is not a feature Netflix is rolling out to its
subscribers at this time.
Instead, it one of the hundreds of tests Netflix runs every year, many of which are focused on how to better
promote Netflix original programming to its customers.
This test is currently live for a small percentage of Netflix global audience.
And
unlike some prior tests, the promos may feature any content in Netflix catalog & not just its original programming.
There is some
misinformation about the way the test works out there because of what may be user error on the part of the original Reddit user, or an
undocumented bug.
Image credit: Reddit user WhyAllTheTrainsvia this post
The original Reddit post said these new video promos are
&unskippable,& noting there a Continue button with a countdown timer on it that looks similar to the one you&d see on a YouTube ad.
But we
understand that the test in question doesallow users to push that Continue button at any time to move forward to the next episode.
The
promos, in other words, are interruptive, but they are not unskippable.
Needless to say, consumer reaction to these promos & which consumers
perceive as advertisements & has been fairly critical so far.Netflix is a paid subscription service, not an ad-supported one like Hulu with
That means customers expect on-demand viewing with no ads
And they think of anything that disrupts their viewing as an advertisement, as a result.
But Netflix is always trying to figure out how to
better showcase its content for subscribers, in order to help them discover new shows and keep them engaged.
It has run many experiments
like this over the years, not all of which pan out
For example, last year it toyed with pre-roll video previews, and more recently it began a test that promotes its shows on the background of
the login screen.
Only when Netflix sees data that proves a test increases user engagement or another metric it cares about will it roll out
the feature to all subscribers
That been the case with those auto-playing trailers, for instance
While not necessarily beloved, they seem to be doing the job.
The company longer-term goal is to make its user interface more video-rich and
personalized, so it not surprising that it finding new ways to insert video into that experience.
Netflix, reached for comment about the new
test, offering the following statement:
At Netflix, we conduct hundreds of tests every year so we can better understand what helps members
more easily find something great to watch
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
Since then, we have been experimenting even more with video based on personalized recommendations for shows and movies on the service or
coming shortly, and continue to learn from our members.
In this particular case, we are testing whether surfacing recommendations between
episodes helps members discover stories they will enjoy faster
It is important to note that a member is able to skip a video preview at anytime if they are not interested.
Tweets from testers:
@netflix
REALLY just played an ad between episodes of Grey Anatomy
Netflix officially ain''t shit
Ads AND they don''t have One Tree Hill Bye Felicia
I&ve had both for a while but @hulu has now taken over my household.
mdash; Sierra C
Johnson (@si8erra) August 17, 2018
@netflix for the record, this new ad setup that you have between episodes is stupid
It does not make me want to watch more shows, it just irritates me that I can''t read the preview for the next episode
Get rid of this shit!
mdash; Starfox51315 (@Starfox51315) August 17, 2018
.@netflix make it stop! Make the ads after a show I watch
stop!!!
mdash; Frank Remley (@FrankRemley) August 17, 2018
Hey @netflix I can tolerate the ads at the top of my list of shows but between
every episode I watch is getting stupid
mdash; Lee (@dogmeat707) August 17, 2018
Wow
@netflix added ads for their shows inbetween episodes
#really
mdash; Rowena Slytherin (@SaucySlytherin) August 16, 2018
@netflix did you seriously just hit me with an ad for your trash anime
what the fuck
mdash; Intergalactic Tham (@Tham1700) August 17, 2018
@netflix, I don't need ads in between episodes.
mdash; Stacey
(@stascream) August 17, 2018
@netflix I don''t like these ads you&ve started sliding in between my episodes of The Office! I&m well aware
of what originals are on Netflix & don''t interrupt my binge watching to shove them down my throat!
mdash; Googie (@MaximumGoogie) August
17, 2018
@netflix if you bring ads to your programming, I will have no reason to continue
I pay for your programming to avoid commercials
Just a customers input.
mdash; JennyB (@itsgonnabfine) August 17, 2018
@netflix Please don't start forcing me to look at ads in-between
It's bad enough I'm forced to watch a clip of some original show every time I open Netflix
I don't want to watch Orange is the New Black or Insatiable or The Package.
mdash; Carol Ann (@hiicatc) August 17,
2018
https://t.co/KmtwCphVMu Exactly my reaction
Please don't @netflix
#netflix #ads via @comicbook https://t.co/d8TenOdOp4
mdash;
Chris Giddings (@cgidz89) August 17, 2018
This is new and I don't like it one bit
@netflix you have put drops/ads for content you've produced between episodes of whatever I'm watching
Don't I already pay for your service and see your content first when I load your app
mdash; Matt Postma (@TD_Postie) August 17, 2018
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.
mdash; Adam Cullen (@Fictonia) August 17, 2018
