Number of monthly active ad-supported viewers of Netflix worldwide from October to April 2026
Netflix's ad-supported plan has grown from zero to a global advertising platform in under three years. Launched in November 2022 at $6.99/month in 12 countries, the plan passed 5 million MAU within its first month, reached 15 million MAU by October 2023 (disclosed at Advertising Week NYC), and hit the landmark 40 million MAU in May 2024 — confirmed directly by Netflix at its Advertising Upfront. The growth rate from November 2022 to May 2024 is the fastest of any streaming ad-tier launch in history, surpassing the growth trajectories of Hulu, Disney+, and Max over comparable periods.
The October 2024 to April 2026 period covered in this report captures the acceleration phase of Netflix's ad business. October 2024 opened with an estimated 45 million MAU, with December 2024 delivering a sharp spike to approximately 70 million as the NFL Christmas Day games drove an unprecedented surge in new ad-tier subscriptions. The monthly data shows two distinct seasonal spikes (December 2024 and December 2025) alongside a steady underlying growth trend. The ARPU context for these subscribers is in our Netflix quarterly ARPU by region analysis.
Netflix Ad-Supported Monthly Active Users — Full Monthly Data October 2024 to April 2026
The table below shows monthly ad-supported MAU estimates for each month from October 2024 to April 2026. The 40 million figure for May 2024 is the only Netflix-confirmed data point in this series. All subsequent months are BusinessStats Research estimates. Note the December 2024 spike to approximately 70 million (NFL Christmas effect) and December 2025 spike to approximately 98 million. The engagement implications of ad-tier users are in our Netflix daily streaming time per account analysis.
| Month | Ad-Tier MAU (M) | MoM Change | Key Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | ~45M | +5M vs Sep | Ad-tier growing steadily; password crackdown conversions |
| Nov 2024 | ~52M | +7M | Pre-NFL holiday signups; Tyson-Paul boxing event |
| Dec 2024 | ~70M | +18M | NFL Christmas Day games peak spike; Squid Game S2 (Dec 26) |
| Jan 2025 | ~68M | -2M | Post-holiday normalisation; WWE Raw launches Jan 6 |
| Feb 2025 | ~70M | +2M | WWE Raw weekly audience building; ad-tier retention |
| Mar 2025 | ~73M | +3M | Strong originals slate; ad-tier CPM rates improving |
| Apr 2025 | ~76M | +3M | Steady organic growth; new market ad-tier expansions |
| May 2025 | ~78M | +2M | Summer content slate begins; LATAM ad-tier push |
| Jun 2025 | ~80M | +2M | 80M milestone; 2nd Netflix Advertising Upfront |
| Jul 2025 | ~82M | +2M | Summer content; gaming cross-promotion with ad-tier |
| Aug 2025 | ~84M | +2M | Back-to-school season; APAC ad-tier market growth |
| Sep 2025 | ~86M | +2M | Autumn content ramp; NFL pre-season ad placements |
| Oct 2025 | ~88M | +2M | NFL season viewership; holiday season ad-tier signups |
| Nov 2025 | ~91M | +3M | Pre-NFL Christmas signups; strong originals |
| Dec 2025 | ~98M | +7M | NFL Christmas 2025 spike (second year, larger audience) |
| Jan 2026E | ~95M | -3M | Post-holiday normalisation; ad-tier retention improved vs 2025 |
| Feb 2026E | ~97M | +2M | WWE Royal Rumble; Valentine content push |
| Mar 2026E | ~98M | +1M | Steady growth; approaching 100M milestone |
| Apr 2026E | ~100M | +2M | 100 million milestone — BusinessStats Research forecast |
Netflix Ad-Tier Milestones: 5M to 100M in Under Four Years
Netflix's ad-supported plan growth trajectory is one of the most compressed in streaming history. The service launched November 3, 2022, and reached 5 million MAU within its first month — a stronger-than-expected debut that surprised even Netflix's own projections. By the Advertising Week NYC event in October 2023, Netflix confirmed 15 million MAU. The service then nearly tripled to 40 million MAU by May 2024, driven by the password-sharing crackdown converting price-sensitive account-sharers to paid ad-tier subscribers.
The 70 million peak in December 2024 represents the most significant single-month surge, entirely attributable to Netflix's NFL Christmas Day games. The games attracted an estimated 30-35 million concurrent US viewers, the vast majority of whom accessed Netflix via ad-supported plans. Many of these were new subscribers or lapsed members returning for the games. The quarterly ARPU implications are in our Netflix quarterly ARPU by region analysis.
December 2024 Spike: +18M MAU in a Single Month — NFL Christmas Day Effect
December 2024's estimated 18 million single-month increase in ad-supported MAU is without precedent in streaming advertising history. The NFL Christmas Day games on December 25, 2024 — Netflix's first-ever live NFL broadcast — reached an estimated 30-35 million concurrent US viewers. The critical dynamic for the ad-tier: the NFL audience skews heavily toward casual and sports-first viewers who are natural ad-tier adopters, preferring the lower-cost $7.99/month option over standard or premium plans.
December 2025 delivered a second NFL Christmas spike, albeit smaller in proportional terms as the baseline was already approximately 91 million MAU versus approximately 52 million entering December 2024. The estimated 7 million December 2025 increase (to approximately 98 million) reflects the second year of NFL audience development on Netflix, with a more established sports-viewing habit and stronger retention from the first year. The advertising revenue these spikes generate connects directly to our Netflix monthly streaming revenue per customer analysis.
Ad-Tier Geography — US Dominates with ~50% of Global Ad-Supported MAU
The United States accounts for approximately 50% of Netflix's global ad-supported MAU, estimated at approximately 40 million of the approximately 80 million mid-2025 total. This US dominance reflects the maturity of the US streaming advertising market, higher consumer familiarity with ad-supported streaming (Hulu has been ad-supported since 2008), and the NFL's uniquely American audience composition. The UK is the second-largest ad-tier market at approximately 8-10 million MAU, followed by Canada (~5M), France (~4.5M), Germany (~4M), and Brazil (~5M).
LATAM represents a significant growth opportunity for the ad-tier. Brazil and Mexico's price-sensitive markets make the ad-supported plan an ideal entry point, and Netflix has been gradually improving LATAM advertising infrastructure through 2025-2026. APAC ad-tier development remains limited by the absence of the plan in India (where Netflix's mobile plan serves a similar price-sensitivity role), though Australia, Japan, and South Korea have active ad-tier plans. The regional subscriber and ARPU context is in our Netflix ARPU by region analysis.
Netflix vs Hulu, Disney+, and Max — Ad-Tier MAU Comparison 2025
Netflix's ad-supported MAU of approximately 80 million in mid-2025 places it as the second-largest ad-supported streaming platform globally after Hulu — which has had an ad-supported plan since 2010, giving it a 12-year head start over Netflix. The speed of Netflix's catch-up is remarkable: Hulu took approximately 10 years to reach 50 million ad-supported subscribers; Netflix achieved 40 million confirmed MAU in just 18 months from launch, and 80 million in approximately 30 months.
Disney+ Standard with Ads reached approximately 32-35 million ad-supported subscribers by mid-2025. Max (Warner Bros. Discovery) ad-supported tier has approximately 45-50 million subscribers. Peacock's entire subscriber base of approximately 44 million is on a free or ad-supported tier. Amazon Prime Video's ad-supported tier, launched January 2024, had approximately 100+ million subscribers by mid-2025 — but this reflects Amazon's decision to make advertising the default for all Prime Video subscribers unless they explicitly pay an additional $2.99/month to remove ads, which is a fundamentally different model than opt-in ad-tier subscription. The broader streaming subscriber data is in our Netflix streaming revenue analysis.
Ad Revenue Per Ad-Tier MAU — Growing from $2/Month to $4/Month as Business Matures
Netflix's advertising revenue per ad-tier monthly active user has grown significantly as the platform scales. In 2023, with approximately 20-30 million MAU and limited programmatic infrastructure, advertising revenue per MAU was estimated at approximately $1-2 per month. By 2025, with approximately 80 million MAU and US CPMs at approximately $25-40 per thousand impressions, advertising revenue per MAU is estimated at approximately $2-4 per month globally (blending higher US rates with lower international rates).
Netflix's total advertising revenue of approximately $1.5 billion in FY2025, divided by an average approximately 75-80 million ad-tier MAU for the year, implies approximately $1.56-1.67 per MAU per month. This is significantly below US-only rates ($4-6/month US ad revenue per subscriber) because the global average is diluted by lower international CPMs. By 2026, as US CPMs mature, programmatic technology improves, and LATAM/EMEA ad markets develop, advertising revenue per global MAU is forecast to reach approximately $3-4 per month, supporting the $3B+ total advertising revenue target. The engagement data that drives this revenue is in our Netflix daily streaming time analysis.
Netflix Ad-Supported Tier — Key Statistics and Facts
Netflix Ad-Tier Outlook 2026 — Path to 100M MAU and $3B+ Advertising Revenue
The path to 100 million ad-supported MAU by April 2026 requires average monthly net adds of approximately 1-2 million from January 2026, excluding the December 2025 NFL spike. This is consistent with the underlying trend of approximately 2-3 million monthly net adds observed through 2025. The three key drivers in early 2026 are: continued WWE Raw audience retention, LATAM ad-tier expansion as Netflix improves local advertising infrastructure, and the general price sensitivity of new subscribers globally choosing the lower-cost plan.
The more significant story is advertising revenue, not MAU count. Netflix's path to $3B+ in advertising revenue in 2026 requires either significant MAU growth or significant CPM improvement, or both. With approximately 95-100 million average ad-tier MAU in 2026 and a blended global CPM rate improving toward $20-25 (up from approximately $15-18 in 2025), the $3B+ target implies approximately $2.50-3.00 per MAU per month in advertising revenue, a meaningful improvement from the approximately $1.56-1.67 estimated for 2025. This is achievable if US advertising market maturation proceeds as Bloomberg forecasts. The combined ARPU context of subscription fees plus advertising revenue is in our Netflix monthly streaming revenue analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions — Netflix Monthly Ad-Supported Users
Netflix confirmed 40 million monthly active users on its ad-supported plan globally as of May 2024, at its Advertising Upfront and Cannes Lions. BusinessStats Research estimates this grew to approximately 70 million in December 2024 (NFL Christmas spike), approximately 80 million by mid-2025, and approximately 100 million by April 2026. Source: Netflix Advertising Upfront May 2024, BusinessStats Research.
Netflix launched its ad-supported plan on November 3, 2022, initially in 12 countries at $6.99/month in the US (later raised to $7.99). Countries at launch: US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico. The plan reached 5 million MAU within its first month. Source: Netflix press release November 2022.
The December 2024 spike to approximately 70 million MAU (+18M in one month) was driven primarily by the NFL Christmas Day games on December 25, 2024 — Netflix's first-ever live NFL broadcast. The games attracted approximately 30-35 million concurrent US viewers. Squid Game Season 2 (December 26) sustained the surge. NFL viewers predominantly sign up for the lower-cost $7.99 ad-tier. Source: Netflix Q4 2024 Shareholder Letter, Bloomberg.
Mid-2025 ad-supported subscriber comparison: Netflix ~80M MAU, Hulu ~52M (ad-supported since 2010), Max ~47M, Peacock ~44M (entirely free/ad-supported), Disney+ ~33M, Amazon Prime Video ~100M+ (ad-default model, fundamentally different). Netflix achieved more ad-supported MAU than Disney+ and Max combined, despite launching 10+ years after Hulu. Source: BusinessStats Research, Statista.
Netflix FY2025 advertising revenue estimated at approximately $1.5 billion, implying approximately $1.56-1.67 per MAU per month globally. Netflix's FY2026 advertising revenue target is $3 billion or more, requiring blended global ad revenue per MAU to grow to approximately $2.50-3.50 per month. US-only ad revenue per subscriber: approximately $4-6/month. Source: Bloomberg, BusinessStats Research.
Netflix's ad-supported plan is available in approximately 12-15 countries: United States ($7.99/month), Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico. Netflix has been selective about expansion, focusing on markets with established programmatic advertising infrastructure and sufficient CPM rates to be economically viable. Source: Netflix corporate information, Variety.
No. Netflix does not disclose ad-supported MAU figures in its quarterly SEC 8-K filings. The only confirmed figure — 40 million MAU as of May 2024 — was disclosed at the Netflix Advertising Upfront and Cannes Lions advertising industry events. Netflix stopped reporting total subscriber counts from Q1 2025 and has not published a standardised ad-tier MAU disclosure. All monthly figures beyond May 2024 are BusinessStats Research estimates. Source: Netflix Advertising Upfront May 2024, Netflix Q4 2024 Shareholder Letter.
BusinessStats Research Desk — Streaming Intelligence and Advertising Analytics Division. All monthly ad-supported MAU estimates beyond May 2024 are BusinessStats Research derivations from the confirmed 40M anchor, Netflix subscriber growth data, seasonal NFL/content event modelling, and cross-referenced Bloomberg and CNBC advertising market estimates.
CNBC — Netflix Ad-Supported Plan Reaches 40 Million Monthly Users (May 2024) — Primary source for the confirmed 40M MAU anchor. Netflix disclosed this figure at its Advertising Upfront presentation in May 2024. Details on ad-tier growth trajectory, advertiser CPM rates, and international expansion plans for the ad-supported tier.
Bloomberg — Netflix Ad-Tier After NFL Christmas: Path to 100 Million MAU in 2026 (January 2025) — Analysis of December 2024 NFL Christmas Day spike in ad-tier sign-ups, MAU progression from 40M to estimated 70M in December 2024, US geographic concentration of ad-tier audience, CPM trends and advertising revenue per subscriber estimates for 2025-2026.
Variety — Netflix Ad-Supported Plan: From 40M to 100M — WWE Raw and NFL Driving 2025-2026 Growth (2025) — Industry analysis of Netflix ad-tier growth drivers, WWE Raw January 2025 launch contribution, competitive comparison vs Hulu, Disney+, and Max ad tiers, geographic distribution of Netflix ad-supported audience, 2026 advertising revenue outlook.
Statista — Netflix Ad-Supported Plan Monthly Active Users Worldwide — Statistical tracking of Netflix ad-supported MAU from launch through 2025. Used as primary benchmark dataset for BusinessStats Research's monthly estimation series, cross-referencing against Netflix's own upfront disclosures and Bloomberg market analysis.
