The First Ad You Have to Pay For

For decades, movie trailers were a subsidy — companies paid to show them to you. Rockstar just flipped the script.

On August 27, “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look” will premiere exclusively on Netflix at 3 PM ET. To watch a two-minute advertisement early, you’ll need an active $17.99-per-month Netflix subscription. Six hours later, the trailer arrives free on YouTube. Engadget

The previous two GTA VI trailers went straight to YouTube. Trailer one pulled 288 million views. Trailer two pulled 176 million. No subscription required. Forbes

Netflix VP Brandon Riegg called the deal “first of its kind.” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick called it “brilliant.” Both are correct — this is the first time a company has convinced 325 million people to pay to watch an advertisement for something else they’ll have to pay for. Variety · Game Developer