Netflix appoints Ian Hunter to lead gambling advertising partnerships

Hunter has experience of the gaming industry from a stint at The Stars Group, now part of Flutter.

UK.- Netflix has made its first dedicated hire to oversee real-money gaming (RMG) advertising solutions. The streaming giant has recruited Ian Hunter from Snap Inc., where he spent more than eight years in senior commercial and client partnership roles. Based in London, Hunter will lead Netflix’s relationships with betting and gaming advertisers as it seeks to grow the business.

Hunter also has direct experience of the gaming industry. Between 2017 and 2019, he served as Global Digital Marketing Manager at The Stars Group, overseeing digital campaigns prior to its merger with Flutter Entertainment in 2020.

Announcing his new role on LinkedIn, Hunter said: “From my first conversation with the team here at Netflix, I was instantly engaged by the opportunity to join such an exciting business. With the growth of live events, award-winning content and a massively engaged audience, there is huge ambition across the team. If anyone wants to hear more about the Netflix Ads solutions, I’d love to connect.”

Hunter’s appointment comes as Netflix accelerates the commercial expansion of its advertising platform. Since launching its ad-supported subscription tier in late 2022, the company has invested heavily in advertising technology, sales infrastructure and live programming.

While subscriptions remain the dominant revenue stream — generating $42bn of Netflix’s $45.3bn income in 2025; advertising is seen playing an important role for diversification. Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters expect advertising revenues to roughly double by 2027, supported by premium content, live entertainment, and sports programming.

Netflix has also expanded its live sports portfolio. Alongside its partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), the company has secured rights to Christmas Day NFL games in the US and will broadcast the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cups for North American audiences.

However, the expansion of gambling-related advertising comes as many countries are increasing regulatory restrictions. Meanwhile, Netflix has incurred the ire of prediction platform operator Kalshi over a trailer for its recent documentary  Instadocs: The Prediction Games.