Netflix’s New MAV Metric Shows 190M Reach in 2025 – Why It Matters Now

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By: Jessica Morrison

Surprise rippled as 190 million viewers this week when Netflix unveiled a new ad metric. The timing matters because the company rolled out the change during its 2025 ad season, reframing how reach is counted for advertisers. Netflix says the “monthly active viewers” (MAV) figure counts anyone who watches at least one minute of ads, multiplied by household viewers – a broader measure than previous MAU totals. That new fact could change how brands buy inventory and how Netflix prices ads; are advertisers prepared to pay for this wider audience?

What Netflix’s 190M MAV Claim Means For Advertisers Right Now

Netflix announced on Nov 5, 2025 it now reports 190 million MAVs; metric redefines ad reach.

• The MAV counts anyone watching ≥1 minute of ads, multiplied by household viewers; reach appears larger.

• Industry debate follows; May’s ad update cited 94 million MAUs using the older profile-based measure.

Why Netflix’s Metric Shift Hits The Market This Week And Why It Matters

Netflix timed the MAV announcement to its ad season, which raises stakes for brands buying Q4 placements. Advertisers calibrate budgets on reach and frequency, and a sudden switch from profile-based MAUs to household-scaled MAVs can inflate apparent audience size overnight. That changes CPM math, campaign benchmarks, and likely negotiation leverage for Netflix sales reps. If you buy streaming ads, this could raise immediate questions about reporting comparability and what license fees or premium placements are now truly worth.

Which Executives And Analysts Are Reacting To The 190M Reach Claim?

Netflix framed the move as improving measurement: “Our move to viewers means we can give a more comprehensive count,” the company said in its blog post. Industry observers quickly flagged the definitional leap from MAU to MAV, noting household multipliers can magnify reported reach. If you’re an advertiser, expect demand for third-party verification and new guarantee language; if you’re a viewer, this signals more aggressive ad formats and experimentation ahead.

How Netflix’s MAV Number Fits With Its 2025 Spending And Growth Plans

Netflix is spending heavily on content in 2025, with an $18 billion cash content plan that signals continued scale-up. The company has also been expanding live and event programming that drives co-viewing – the very behavior MAV attempts to capture. Because live events and shared viewing broaden household counts, Netflix argues MAV better reflects real eyeballs for advertisers.

The key figures advertisers will watch after Netflix’s MAV reveal

KPI Value + Unit Change/Impact
Ad-supported reach 190 million MAVs Broader household-based count vs profile MAU
Prior ad update (May 2025) 94 million MAUs Different, narrower profile-linked measure
2025 content spend $18 billion Continued growth underpins ad inventory push

Netflix’s new metric expands reported reach and reframes ad inventory value.

What This Metric Change Could Mean For Your 2025 Ad Buys

Advertisers may ask for adjusted CPMs, third-party verification, or audience guarantees tied to MAV definitions. Publishers and competitors will either adopt similar multipliers or push back, creating a new cross-platform measurement debate. If you place streaming ads, will you demand comparable MAV reporting from other platforms – or stick to legacy MAU benchmarks and risk missing true co-viewing scale? Which side wins could reshape ad pricing into 2026.

Sources

  • https://deadline.com/2025/11/netflix-ads-1236606573/
  • https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/netflix-content-spending-2025-ceiling-cfo-1236328510/
  • https://about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-third-season-of-ads-and-a-look-ahead-at-whats-next-uk/

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