NETFLIX TAPS NATIVEX TO EXPAND GLOBAL ACCESS TO ITS AD-SUPPORTED STREAMING INVENTORY

Netflix has partnered with Singapore-based adtech firm Nativex to open its ad-supported streaming tier to brands worldwide. Nativex will lead strategy, planning, activation and optimisation, giving marketers access to premium inventory, advanced targeting and innovative ad formats as Netflix accelerates its push to attract global advertisers and scale its connected-TV ad business.  

Netflix is making a decisive push to turn its ad-supported tier from a peripheral experiment into a central pillar of its global business strategy by teaming up with Singapore-based adtech company Nativex in a deal that opens the streamer’s premium inventory to brands around the world. The collaboration, announced this week, marks a significant step in Netflix’s efforts to attract marketers looking to reach engaged streaming audiences as competition for connected-TV ad dollars intensifies.

Under the agreement, Nativex will take the lead on managing strategy, planning, activation and optimisation for campaigns running on Netflix’s ad-supported service, giving brands a gateway to the platform’s high-value viewers in key markets across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and beyond. Netflix’s ad tier now boasts nearly 190 million monthly active viewers worldwide, a scale that rivals many traditional broadcast networks and creates a compelling proposition for advertisers looking to blend reach with precision.

For marketers, the appeal of Netflix has always been tied to its premium content and deeply engaged audience. Shows like “Stranger Things,” global films and live events create moments in culture that advertisers crave, and under this new deal Nativex will help brands tap into that environment with a rich suite of formats. These include standard pre-roll and mid-roll video ads, interactive Pause Ads that surface when viewers take a break, QR-enabled creative units designed to drive direct engagement, and even sponsorship opportunities tied to single titles or marquee releases.

According to partners on both sides, the idea is to bring together Netflix’s content-driven platform with Nativex’s performance and creative expertise, enabling campaigns that span the full marketing funnel. “By partnering with Netflix, we can help brands tell richer stories in a premium environment, while using Nativex’s data, creative and optimisation capabilities to turn that attention into tangible business results,” said Cheryl Huang, a partner at Nativex, underlining how the adtech firm plans to harness first-party data and contextual signals to refine targeting and improve outcomes for advertisers.

The move follows a broader industry trend in which streaming platforms are embracing advertising as a core revenue stream. Netflix introduced its ad-supported plan several years ago as part of an effort to offer more consumer choice and combat slowing subscriber growth, and the tier has rapidly expanded its footprint across dozens of countries. Recent data suggests that a significant share of Netflix’s global subscriber base now uses the ad tier, reflecting both a willingness among viewers to accept ads in exchange for lower subscription prices and growing advertiser interest in the format.

But Netflix’s strategy extends beyond simply selling ad space. The company has been building out its broader advertising ecosystem, including integrations with programmatic partners like Amazon’s Demand-Side Platform, which will allow advertisers to programmatically buy Netflix inventory alongside other premium video channels. This kind of interoperability is designed to make Netflix inventory more accessible to agencies and brands that rely on automated platforms for media planning and buying.

Industry observers see the partnership with Nativex as part of Netflix’s effort to differentiate its offering in a crowded marketplace that includes legacy cable networks, broadcast TV and other streaming services such as Disney+ and Max. By combining premium content with advanced ad formats and data-driven targeting, Netflix hopes to draw ad budgets that might otherwise flow to linear TV and other digital video channels.

For brands, the upside is clear: access to audiences that are already highly engaged, with creative formats that go beyond traditional spots to generate interaction and measurable outcomes. But with that opportunity comes the challenge of navigating a rapidly evolving ad landscape where measurement standards and best practices are still being defined. Nativex’s role will be crucial in helping marketers not only to plan and execute campaigns, but also to understand performance and adapt in near real time.

As streaming companies continue to experiment with ad models and forge new industry partnerships, Netflix’s alliance with Nativex signals a strong vote of confidence in the commercial potential of ad-supported streaming. For marketers seeking to connect with global audiences in premium digital environments, the deal could mark the start of a new chapter in how brands approach advertising on connected TV.