Netflix is known for it’s binge experience with episodes of acclaimed shows like ‘GLOW ‘ and ‘Orange Is the New Black’ playing one after another, before the streaming video service asks “Are You Still Watching?” And part of the perks was the entire thing lacked traditional TV’s money-making hurdle: commercials. Well to some viewers that seems to be changing, but Netflix claims it’s not. doing that but simply trying to use data to recommend other shows on the platform.
For some Netflix users in the U.S. and the U.K., a short promo with a countdown clock for other shows on the video service are running before your episodes start. The ads range from 10- to 20-second. In an article in the New York Times, Netflix spokeswoman Smita Saran said, “These video promos are actually personalized recommendations for titles we think a member may enjoy watching. In this particular case, we are testing whether surfacing recommendations between episodes helps members discover stories they will enjoy faster.”
The intitative is not permanent yet with company officials that they will be “looking at [user] behavior within the service”.
Internet Today covers the news and what the reaction has been to the addition of promos (or commercials?) has been so far.
