Kids in 'Netflix Only' Homes Don't Know What TV Ads Are

The television commercial is a necessary evil as far as my childhood was concerned. They interrupted my favorite shows, but apparently they had to happen so my shows could be paid for. But today, the TV landscape is changing very rapidly. Channels supported by advertising are still widespread, but services such as Netflix and Amazon Video are ad-free.

So it may come as no surprise that kids today are having a hard time understanding what a TV commercial is. More specifically, in so-called "Netflix-only" homes, the majority of kids will look at you blankly if asked to explain what a TV advert is. They simply don't experience them.

A recent survey carried out by Exstreamist, asked 100 parents, 50 from Netflix-only homes, and 50 from normal TV homes, if their kids knew what commercials are. The results show that 82 percent of kids in Netflix-only homes did not, compared to only 38 percent in normal TV homes. 6% weren't sure in Netflix-only homes, meaning a total of 88 percent lack knowledge of TV adverts.

That's sure to worry advertising executives who rely on TV advertising for two reasons. Kids today are the next generation of consumers of adverts, but also it's a reminder of the growing popularity of streaming services which do not show advertising. Essentially, their market is shrinking and future consumers are oblivious to it.

Of course, there is one event that could turn these results on their head. And it's the answer to the question: Will Netflix ever introduce a free tier supported by advertising?

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.