Netflix grew revenue 13% year over year to $12.6 billion in Q2, with gains attributed to a mix of membership growth, pricing changes and momentum in advertising, according to an earnings statement. The results were in line with analyst expectations and Netflix forecast Q3 revenue will rise 12% YoY, driven by the same factors as the prior quarter.
Investors appeared disappointed in the outlook, with Netflix shares trading downward following the report, while the company was peppered with questions about reported slowdowns in viewer engagement. The streamer also affirmed it is on track to hit its target of $3 billion in ads revenue this year, effectively doubling its 2025 haul, and is in the final weeks of U.S. upfront negotiations, where major ad-spending commitments are brokered.
Live events programming, particularly sports content like the Women’s World Cup and an expanded slate of NFL games, are drawing interest, aligning with a larger live sports boom in TV. Amazon, a key competitor in the streaming realm, wrapped its upfronts talks earlier this week, Adweek reported.
Netflix still sees a gap in average monetization per ad tier member compared to its standard ad-free tier, but believes it can narrow that gap by expanding its measurement capabilities and ad products while building out its ad-tech stack.
“We’re making it easier … for folks to transact with us. Those all drive demand. They drive competitiveness. That yields increased fill rates,” Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters said in response to an analyst question about advertising.
“Those improvements are really the bulk of the opportunity we have to improve unit performance and monetization for the next few years,” Peters added.
Netflix has showcased how it is developing partnerships with brands around its original content. The new Will Ferrell-starring series “The Hawk,” which is set in the world of pro golf, is premiering with bespoke campaigns for Hyundai’s Genesis brand and Mike’s Hard Lemonade, both of which are integrated into the show’s storytelling.
Executives on the earnings call were also asked about weakening viewer engagement, with lower viewing hours per member. Bloomberg reported that more subscribers are also ditching Netflix shows after just one season. Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos noted the dip in audience from season to season is common and that second seasons of programming are “performing well within our bands of expectation.”
Another explanation offered for the softer engagement trends is Netflix’s bigger focus on live events, which command some of the highest levels of viewer attention — and steepest price tags for broadcast rights — but occupy more limited windows of time.
“Live events do a lot of lifting for us for acquisition. They’re good for monetization. They drive ad revenue, fandom,” Peters said on the earnings call. “They’re also a promotional platform, but they do not yield, typically, as many raw view hours.”
