Netflix says viewer engagement matters more than ad exposure

Attendees fill the venue as Netflix presents its Attention to Connection advertising strategy at Behind The Streams 2026 in Seoul Courtesy of Netflix — Participants attend an event hosted by Netflix in Seoul on July 7, 2026. Courtesy of Netflix

SEOUL, July 8 (AJP) - Global streaming giant Netflix told roughly 600 advertisers and marketing officials in Seoul that viewer engagement matters more than simple ad exposure, as it seeks to attract more advertising spending to its platform.

The company laid out the case Tuesday at "Behind The Streams," an event held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas.

Citing its own 2025 survey, Netflix said 74 percent of viewers who saw ads on the platform later took a related action, such as searching for or buying a product.

Netflix also pointed to research from Kantar, the global market research firm, which found that traditional metrics such as reach and gross rating points showed a weaker link to brand impact, while viewer attention showed a correlation of more than 0.6 with brand effects.

"The advertising market is shifting from competing over how much exposure an ad gets to competing over how deeply it captures attention," said Lee Chun, director of advertising at Netflix Korea.

Lee Chun director of advertising at Netflix Korea speaks at Behind The Streams 2026 an event held for advertisers in Seoul Courtesy of Netflix — Lee Chun, director of advertising at Netflix Korea, speaks at "Behind The Streams 2026," an event held for advertisers in Seoul on July 7, 2026. Courtesy of Netflix

Lee described Netflix's content lineup as a way for brands to reach viewers who are already absorbed in what they are watching, part of a strategy the company calls "Attention to Connection."

The pitch comes as Netflix's ad-supported tier continues to grow. Lee said 60 percent of new sign-ups globally are now choosing the ad-supported plan, giving advertisers a larger pool of viewers to reach.

At the event, Netflix showcased Korean advertising partnerships that tied brand messages to its shows and films.

The company is also expanding ad products, including single-title sponsorships and interactive video ads, alongside Netflix Ads Suite, its in-house ad platform launched in Korea last September to help marketers plan, buy and measure ad performance.

Netflix said it plans to launch advertising in 15 more countries in 2027, bringing its ad business to 27 markets.

Joonha Yoo

Netflix says viewer engagement matters more than ad exposure

Related