Netflix Tests Pre-Roll Trailers For Its Original Programs

Netflix’s ad-free presentation is perhaps the most significant part of its appeal. The streaming video platform won’t be implementing ads anytime soon, but it may sneak some trailers for its own original content into its videos. The Verge notes that some Netflix users on mobile devices have seen ads for other Netflix programs at the beginning of videos.

These tests have not sat well with many of the users who have experienced them; some Netflix subscribers have sworn to drop the service entirely if it ever incorporates pre-roll ads. Showing trailers, however, would likely not be the end of the world. HBO GO, for example, already shows previews for upcoming series before rolling its episodes.

Netflix made sure to stress that its pre-roll offerings would be limited to previews for its programs. “They’re not ads in the traditional sense,” a company rep told The Verge. “They are trailers for Netflix originals. As you know, we test hundreds of potential improvements to the service every year. Many never extend beyond that.”

Netflix’s ad-free, subscription-based service starts at $7.99 per month.