Netflix, Yahoo in Pact to Expand Programmatic Ad Sales

Netflix added Yahoo to its list of partners for programmatic ad sales, the streaming giant’s latest effort to spark interest in its ad-supported subscription tier.

“This will enable clients to buy Netflix advertising through Yahoo programmatically, and will be available later this year in all 12 of our ad-supported countries,” said Amy Reinhard, Netflix’ president of advertising, in a prepared statement. “Integrating Yahoo DSP is all about driving performance for Netflix advertisers, and we will partner together on advanced targeting segments to optimize the best results for our clients.”

Netflix already works with The Trade Desk, Google and Microsoft to sell programmatic advertising, which allows for the purchase of digital inventory according to specific parameters that identify consumer habits, qualities or behaviors. Netflix recently gave advertisers the ability to target more than 100 interests in over 17 categories, including life stages, and to incorporate first-party data into their process.

Others are also examining similar options. Amazon and Roku earlier Monday unveiled a new deal that will pool their connected-TV audience impressions to allow for better targeting and more precise placement of programmatic advertising in Amazon Fire and the Roku Channel.

“We’re excited to bring Netflix’s premium ad-supported inventory to Yahoo DSP clients, offering access to highly engaged audiences in a trusted, brand-safe environment. This integration makes it easy for advertisers to incorporate Netflix into their broader CTV strategies without added complexity,” said Alia Lamborghini, senior vice president of global revenue at Yahoo DSP, in a prepared statement.

Netflix has been developing its advertising offers since 2022, and has been active in the annual “upfront” sales market since 2023. Media buyers say the company’s scale has been relatively limited on a region by region basis, though Netflix said earlier this year that its ad-supported tier reaches 94 million people around the world. Advertisers typically don’t create a single campaign for global audiences, and may buy commercials for specific regions as well as consumers.