Netflix is changing the way we watch ads, and you might not even realize you’re watching one. The streaming giant has announced that it will soon start using artificial intelligence (AI) to place ads right inside shows and movies. Yes, you read that right. Instead of pausing your show for a regular commercial, you might see a soda can, a phone, or a car show up naturally in a scene, as if it belongs there.
In fact, Netflix showed an example using Stranger Things. Imagine watching the gang in Hawkins and spotting a real brand’s product sitting on a table or in the background of a scene. It’s still the same show, but now with smartly placed ads that don’t interrupt the story.
This new kind of ad is expected to roll out by the end of 2025 for people on the cheaper, ad-supported Netflix plan. Netflix says the ads will appear during pause moments or quietly in the background, like on a wall or a table in a scene. Some might even let you click or interact with them.
The idea is to make ads less annoying and more clever. After all, if the product blends into the show, there’s no reason to skip it. It’s a big step for Netflix, which now has over 94 million users on its ad-supported plan, most of them young and watching a lot of content.
Like it or not, this could be the future of watching TV.