Netflix 'Recommendations' Sure Look Like Commercials...
*By Conor White*
Netflix's newest feature may only be in the testing phase, but it's causing an uproar on social media. The streaming giant will insert "recommendations" between episodes of shows, and many critics argue these suggestions are [just commercials](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/20/business/media/netflix-commercials-videos-ads.html) by another name. Users complained over the weekend that promotional videos ー which can last up to 20 seconds ー were interrupting their viewing time, and some even threatened to cancel their subscriptions.
Austin Powell, managing editor at the Daily Dot, said it's a "bad look" for Netflix.
"I just want the content, I just want my show," he said Monday in an interview on Cheddar. "It's a regressive move, and I think it's indicative of a lot of other issues."
Netflix posted [less-than-stellar](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2018-07-16/netflix-troubles-may-have-ripple-effects-research-affiliates-ceo-says-video) second-quarter numbers in July, with new subscriber tallies [falling short](http://fortune.com/2018/07/16/netflix-stock-drops/) of expectations.
With more than 80 original series slated for release this year, Powell said this may be an act of desperation for Netflix.
"They just don't know how to market all of that content," he said. "There's literally too much for them to work with and for you to know what to watch, and so they're having to really force this onto the user in a way that's not really that pleasant."
While Netflix seems to believe viewers are having trouble discovering new content, Powell said it's a simple matter of quality, not quantity.
"To me, the real issue here is content. Netflix in 2018 hasn't had a breakout hit like 'Stranger Things' or 'Making A Murderer' and they're just trying to force this."
Still, investors seem to be shrugging off user backlash ー shares of Netflix ended a six-day losing streak and were up more than 3 percent on Monday.
For full interview, [click here] (https://cheddar.com/videos/new-on-netflix-commercials).
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