Research from global streaming media measurement company Digital i suggests viewing time on Netflix’s Standard with Ads plan increased by 32 per cent in five key Western European markets between November 2024 and April 2025.
Digital i measured the number of hours subscribers were watching the ad-supported tier on Netflix in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain.
According to the company, there was a collective rise of 152.7 million hours, up from 470.2 million hours in November 2024.
The biggest single increase was recorded in Germany, which saw a 44 per cent rise in hours viewed on the Standard with Ads plan from 81.3 million to 116.9 million hours viewed, said Digital i.
Spain and the UK both recorded a 34 per cent rise, from 59.9 million to 80.2 million and 150.7 million to 202.6 million respectively, In France the number of viewers watching the Standard with Ads plan rose by 26 per cent (from 129.1 million to 163.2 million), while Italy recorded a 22 per cent rise (from 49.1 million to 60 million) over the course of six month.
Matt Ross, Digital i’s chief analytics officer, commented: “Netflix’s ad-supported tier has experienced strong growth in the past six months, and the increased take up has led to increased viewership across all regions. This is good news for Netflix’s ad business, which now boasts strong levels of reach combined with high levels of viewership.”
