Netflix Says Commercials aren't Commercials and Gulliani Says the Truth isn't the Truth TGIF

TFIF - This week in advertising has been interesting.  It seems that our "everything is deniable" political climate is rubbing off on the media culture.  The week started with Rudy Gulliani saying "the truth is not really the truth" on Meet the Press. And it got weirder from there. Netflix entered the world of deniability.  The online video giant that promises commercial free viewing in exchange for a monthly fee has infuriated it's most loyal couch potatoes.  Netflix has been running promotional ads for other shows in the Netflix portfolio between episodes of their most popular programming.  Subscribers were beside themselves. After sitting down to watch 6 hours of Black Mirror, they were interrupted by 6 minutes of promotional ads. This was enough to incite a mutiny of couch potatoes. When confronted with their breech of promise, the quote from Netflix that was jaw droppingly arrogant, : "The videos are not ads or commercials, but personalized recommendations for other shows and movies that appear on Netflix". Do they really think their subscriber base is that stupid. This kind of corporate response could only make sense in a world where people are accustomed to "false truths" and "fake news". 


While it's infuriating, it doesn't take a genius to realize that advertising is the next pot of gold for Netflix and the rest of the online category.   As the ad world ogles at the numbers of people on the internet they assume it's search, They often discount the number of these hours are spent on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Movies, Itunes, Spotify, Pandora and of course YouTube.  The ever important 18-24 year old audience spends 21percent of their entertainment time with online video and over 22 percent with online gaming while the total population spends 12 percent on online videos and 11 percent on gaming. For kids who grew up with no TV in their room but ample access to an iphone or laptop, the online video outlets and gaming opportunities are the television set of today.  The demand for programming will continue to grow and quality programming will continue to become more expensive to produce. Online video outlets will be forced  to monetize the outlet by supporting it with ads.  Thats the truth, the real truth, and it is the truth.