One of the best things about Netflix, besides their library of endless TV shows and movies, is that the streaming service is commercial-free. Unfortunately, that’s about to change. As of last week, the streaming service has begun testing new video ads on some of its users. These ads are basically commercials for other Netflix series that run between episodes of the show you’re watching. Luckily, there’s a way to stop these ads from ruining your binge-a-thon, and perhaps thwart them for good.
After users aired their grievances about the new ad system on Reddit, Netflix released a statement to Ars Technica on August 17th to offer an explanation. “We are testing whether surfacing recommendations between episodes helps members discover stories they will enjoy faster,” the company said.
And, according to the brand, these ads are skippable. A “skip” button will appear in the bottom corner of the screen when the ad plays. So if you’re not in the mood to be advertised to, you can pass.
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CNet reports that you can bypass the testing phase altogether by going to this website. There, you can toggle off your “test participation” and avoid the ads altogether. However, if the streaming platform decides to move the ads out of the test phase, no one is safe.
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Netflix has taken note of the negative feedback on social media thus far. However, the company told Ars Technica that they will only focus on how users interact with the ads rather than the bad reviews.
We understand that Netflix is trying to help us out by “recommending” shows and movies we should watch next. But isn’t that what the recommendations page is for?
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Even though they’re not listening to our social media griping, the power to stop Netflix from running recommendations remains in our hands. If you are one of the unlucky ones who has noticed ads popping up between episodes, click that “skip” button for the rest of us.
Hopefully they will get the hint that we’re not — and never will be — about that ad life.