EverPass Media has announced a multi-year distribution agreement with Netflix that will bring Netflix's NFL content to commercial establishments nationwide.

The agreement builds on the existing agreements between EverPass and Netflix, which has delivered NFL Christmas Day games on Netflix over the past two seasons and distributed other Netflix-exclusive live boxing events to bars and restaurants.

Through the expanded agreement, commercial venues will have access to Netflix's full NFL slate.

The 2026 lineup includes the NFL's Week 1 Melbourne game, the first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, two Christmas Day matchups, a Week 18 game and NFL Honors, the league’s annual awards show during Super Bowl week.

“Netflix continues to bring some of the NFL’s biggest moments to fans, and we're excited to expand our partnership to make those events available to commercial businesses across the U.S.,” said Alex Kaplan, CEO of EverPass Media. “Digital distribution has fundamentally changed how audiences access content, and EverPass was built to help commercial businesses keep up with that evolution. By providing a simple, authorized way to access premium live events, we help bars, restaurants and other venues deliver the games that matter most to customers. Adding Netflix’s NFL live events to EverPass further strengthens our offering, giving establishments access to even more must-see events that drive engagement and create memorable experiences.”

Through EverPass, commercial businesses will have access to the following NFL games and events on Netflix during the 2026 season:

• Week 1 (Melbourne): San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams – Thursday, September 10, 2026
• Week 12 (Thanksgiving Eve): Green Bay Packers vs. Los Angeles Rams – Wednesday, November 25, 2026
• Week 16 (Christmas Day): Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears – Friday, December 25, 2026
• Week 16 (Christmas Day): Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos – Friday, December 25, 2026
• Week 18 (Final Week of the Regular Season): Saturday, January 9, 2027
• 2027 NFL Honors: TBD Super Bowl week

Under a separate multi-year agreement with EverPass, DirecTV for Business will market, sell and distribute these NFL games and events, along with other premium sports programming available through EverPass, to commercial customers.

The deal comes in the wake of recent news that EverPass has agreed to be acquired by the sports entertainment platform DAZN.

The acquisition, announced August 26, will bring together EverPass' leading U.S. commercial sports distribution capabilities with DAZN's global scale, premium content portfolio, established international commercial distribution and technology capabilities. The transaction is expected to close following receipt of required regulatory approvals.

Average price increases across Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon have fallen from 24% of the previous subscription price in 2023/24 to 14% in 2025/26, according to a new survey from Ampere Analysis.

In dollar terms, average increases have declined from $1.67 to $1.54 over the same period, with increases averaging $1.62/17% in 2024/25. Across the full three-year period, the average individual price increase was $1.60, equivalent to 17% of the previous price. As streaming markets mature and become increasingly competitive and saturated, Ampere says the trend could indicate that streamers are moving closer to the limits of consumers’ willingness to pay, leaving less headroom for larger price increases in the future.

Ad-free tiers have seen larger price increases over the past three years, averaging $1.62 versus $1.21 for ad-supported tiers. With ad-free plans already premium-priced, the gap between the two has widened. In markets offering ad-supported tiers, the average price difference between the ad-free and advertising tiers has grown from $4.53 in August 2023 to July 2024 to $5.35 in August 2025 to July 2026 globally across the three streamers.

For Netflix in the U.S., for example, the price gap between the Standard with Ads and the Standard tiers for new subscribers grew from $8.50 in August 2023 to $11 in July 2026. As advertising becomes an increasingly important source of streaming revenue, platforms have an incentive to keep ad-supported tiers attractively priced.

Average price increases over the past three years vary across the three services, ranging from $1.73/16% for Netflix to $1.53/17% for Disney+ and $1.47/30% for Amazon. The frequency of price increases also differs.

Netflix’s price increases have remained broadly stable, according to Ampere.

Disney+ has seen the clearest shift towards more modest increases, down from an average increase of $1.86/31% in 2023/24 to $1.45/13% in 2025/26.

Amazon has made the fewest over the three-year period, likely reflecting the broader role of the Prime subscription within Amazon’s retail business.

Western Europe has seen the largest average price increases over the past three years at $1.86/16%, ahead of North America at $1.70/15% and Central and Eastern Europe at $1.68/18%. Most regional markets are moving in the same direction, with average price increases shrinking over time.

“The decline in price increases comes as streamers diversify how they monetise their audiences. says Jaanika Juntson, Senior Research Manager at Ampere Analysis. “Advertising is an increasingly important revenue stream, reducing reliance on subscription pricing alone, while password-sharing crackdowns allow streamers to generate more value from existing audiences through extra member slots. As streaming businesses mature, revenue growth is becoming less reliant on price increases, while intense competition is also making streamers increasingly mindful of how they are positioned against rivals.”

DirecTV has launched a new promotion that offers new DirecTV customers who choose a DirecTV Genre Pack and its Gemini streaming device will get a year of free access to Netflix Standard with ads.

Normally Netflix’s ad supported service is priced at $8.99 a month.

The promotion is being offered at a time when more pay TV operators are bundling discounted streaming services with their video offerings as a way of attracting consumers. With a DirecTV Gemini device, subscribers can access Netflix right alongside their live channels in one easy-to-use interface, all on a single bill.

DirecTV has also been pushing smaller more focused packages like its Genre packs, which target consumer interests for sports, entertainment or other content at more affordable packages.

More information is available here.

Netflix has concluded its 2026 Upfront sales in the U.S. with deals from “all major agency partners” that “nearly doubled our ad commitments this year,” Netflix president of advertising Amy Reinhard reported.

Reinhard did not provide specific dollar amounts but said the results were in line with their expectations.

“This Upfront proved that advertisers are more excited than ever to work with Netflix, where they can access the most engaged audiences, with an ad tech platform built to drive results, all centered around series and films that never disappoint,” she wrote in an August 10 blog post.

The growth came from new programming as well as “returning favorites like `Love Is Blind', `Big Mistakes', `Bridgerton', `Emily in Paris', `Nobody Wants This', and `Running Point'”, upcoming feature films and live events like the NFL.

“Upfront demand for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup was also extremely high, as we’ve sold out of game sponsorships and nearly sold out of all available in-game inventory,” she said.

In another major development in its ad sales efforts, Reinhard said that "the Media Rating Council (MRC) has granted Netflix Ads Suite’s first accreditation. We’re proud to have been awarded accreditation across the processing and reporting of US in-stream video impressions amongst connected TV, mobile app, and desktop web."

Reinhard also stressed the importance of a variety of tech advances in the “Netflix Ads Suite, which makes it easy for advertisers to buy with us, offering expanded flexibility, interactivity and reach.”

Those improvements included:

• CTV Marketplace and DSP-Initiated deals extend programmatic buying so that partners can transact with Netflix through any of the demand-side platforms they already use across Google Display & Video 360, Amazon, Yahoo or The Trade Desk.
• Pause Ads are now available to buy programmatically across all DSPs. The Netflix Ads Suite also offers advertisers AI-creative tooling that generates pause ad formats from existing assets.
• Conversion, Reach and Audience APIs offer advertisers AI-driven tooling to drive even stronger results.
• Netflix recently expanded interactive formats to include ‘Send to Phone’ and now offer Frame Ads.

Netflix is reporting record viewing levels in the first half of 2026, with its subscribers watching more than 97 billion hours of programming.

It also released its 10 most popular movies and shows.

Among the movies, "War Machine" was #1 with 147 million hours of viewing, followed by "The Rip" (136 million hours), "Swapped" (131 million hours), "KPop Demon Hunters" (130 million) and "Apex" (129 million hours.)

The ten most popular shows were led by “His&Hers” (104 million hours of viewing), “Bridgerton” season 4 (100 million hours) and “I Will Find You” (64 million hours).

Other highlights included:

• Netflix audiences love to discover and watch new series. Five of the top 10 most-watched shows premiered in the first half of this year, with I Will Find You (64 million) and Teach You a Lesson (48 million) from South Korea both reaching the top 10 less than a month after their releases. The streamer also reported big audiences for new stories such as His & Hers (104M) — the #1 most watched show in the half — along with Run Away (50 million) and Nemesis Season 1 (33 million), which was recently renewed for a second season.
• New seasons consistently drive discovery and viewing of past seasons of a series. The return of Bridgerton Season 4 (100 million) nearly tripled viewing of every earlier season of the franchise (including Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story), when compared to the second half of 2025. Together, the entire Bridgerton franchise brought 180 million views in the first half of this year. Netflix also saw a boost in viewership for past seasons of series including ONE PIECE (69 million views across seasons), The Night Agent (63 million views across seasons), Virgin River (54 million views across seasons) and The Lincoln Lawyer (59 million views across seasons).
• Netflix original films continue to draw in huge audiences across genres. The action film slate performed particularly well this half, with The Rip (136 million), Apex (129 million) and Thrash (100 million) among the most-watched. War Machine was the biggest title in the half with 147 million views. Animated films are becoming hits. Swapped came in at 131 million views in the half and is on track to become the second most-watched original animated film ever, behind KPop Demon Hunters (130 million) — which came in at #4 despite premiering over a year ago. Book-to-screen adaptations were also popular with successful films including People We Meet on Vacation (78 million) and Remarkably Bright Creatures (51 million). And Rom-coms like Office Romance (58 million) and Voicemails for Isabelle (53 million) also moved audiences.
• Non-English titles represent more than a third of all viewing on Netflix, with titles from South Korea, Japan and Spain among the most-watched. South Korea continues to deliver a strong slate of titles including Teach You a Lesson (48 million), Can This Love Be Translated? (29 million), The Art of Sarah (26 million), My Royal Nemesis (16 million) and the Season 2 return of the hit series Bloodhounds (24 million). Japan continues to drive viewing with original stories like Straight to Hell Season 1 (10 million) and Sins of Kujo Season 1 (9 million). Spain released several popular titles this half including Firebreak (34 million), The Marked Woman (26 million), Oasis Season 1 (10 million), and from the creators of Money Heist — Berlín and the Lady with an Ermine (28 million).
• India had its highest viewing for a half yet with hits like Dhurandhar (37 million) — the most-watched non-English film in this report — Accused (19 million), Made in Korea (18 million) and Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web Season 1 (16 million). South Africa broke through with global successes like 180 (37 million) for film and The Polygamist Season 1 (17 million) for series. In addition, Netflix reported a number of stories that resonated locally and travel globally including Colors of Evil: Black (23 million) from Poland, Radioactive Emergency Season 1 (22 million) from Brazil, A Father’s Miracle (21 million) from Mexico, Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole Season 1 (22 million) from Norway, My Dearest Assassin (18 million) from Thailand, The Big Fake (17 million) from Italy and The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek (11 million) from Denmark.
• Members enjoy a variety of different programming. Must-watch live events brought audiences together in the first half for everything from Kevin Hart’s comedy spectacle with The Roast of Kevin Hart (21 million) to Alex Honnold’s thrill-seeking climb with Skyscraper Live (13 million) and BTS’ monumental comeback with BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG (21 million) that thrilled fans around the world.
• More than half of its members today have watched at least one anime title, where we saw breakouts with new stories like BAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai Season 1 (8 million), STEEL BALL RUN: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (8 million) and Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (8 million).
• Documentaries of all kinds captivated viewers — from true crime stories like The Crash (65 million), to pop culture sensations like Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model Season 1 (22 million) and epic prehistoric tales like The Dinosaurs Season 1 (32 million).
• Kids & family continues to perform well, with creators like Ms. Rachel, the most-watched kids title at 69 million views across two seasons, plus Mark Rober's CrunchLabs (36 million across four seasons) and newcomers Salish & Jordan Matter (29 million across both seasons) and Danny Go! Season 1 (26 million).

LOS ANGELES—Global broadcast design agency Girraphic selected Vizrt graphics for mixed martial arts promotion MVP’s premiere event, streamed on Netflix May 16.

Broadcast live from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., the 18,000-seat arena’s graphics lit up the venue, creating an immersive experience for fans at the event and bringing Netflix viewers closer to the action.

The venue’s Halo Board LED displays, augmented reality (AR) graphics, and every visual element were designed and operated by longtime Vizrt partner Girraphic. The agency specializes in virtual production and augmented graphical integrations.

“In live sports, you never know what’s going to happen,“ Girraphic CEO, North and South America Nathan Marsh said. “That anticipation brings fans to the edge of their seats, and visual elements on every screen should meet the magic of the moment. By counting on Vizrt technology, our teams were able to bring our collective vision to life, engaging the Netflix MMA fans in the venue and at home.”

A unified graphics workflow ensured the production team had the flexibility needed to deliver for both Netflix viewers and fans in the arena—all controlled from a single interface. Broadcasters, rightsholders, streamers and leagues are shifting strategy to handle more productions for more audiences in less time and with fewer added resources.

Essential to the workflow was the Viz Engine 5 real-time 3D graphics rendering and compositing engine, Vizrt said. Combined with Vizrt’s Viz Multiplay video wall and multiscreen control platform, the Viz Engine 5 enabled the team to create an original experience for every live event. Viz Multiplay enables the control of every display from a single interface, with playout available in any aspect ratio.

The solution blends prerendered animation, live video feeds and real-time broadcast graphics into a unified production workflow, Vizrt said. making the management of giant LED displays in venues of all sizes simple and solid. At the heart of both solutions is the reliability to not only support but also uplift productions, the company said.

More information is available on the Vizrt website.

LONDON—Global connected TV (CTV) advertising revenue will surge from $44 billion in 2025 to $81 billion by 2030, with CTV ad revenues expected to surpass traditional linear TV advertising during the 2030s, according to new research by Omdia.

The researchers also reported that Google, Amazon and Netflix will dominate the TV landscape in the upcoming years. As the fight to “own the living room” enters a new phase, Google, Amazon and Netflix are projected to capture 50% of the global connected TV advertising market by 2030.

“The battle for the living room is no longer only about streaming content,” said Maria Rua Aguete, head of media and entertainment at Omdia. “It is increasingly about controlling the platform, the advertising layer, the operating system, the data and ultimately the consumer relationship.”

Aguete noted that television is becoming one of the most strategic gateways for digital advertising, retail media and commerce integration, with tech companies increasingly competing to control the TV interface itself.

The findings also highlight how the center of power in television is rapidly shifting away from traditional broadcasting toward streaming platforms, TV operating systems and advertising ecosystems. By the end of the decade Omdia reports that:

• Google is forecast to command 26% of global CTV advertising revenue.
• Amazon is expected to account for 13%.
• Netflix is projected to represent 9%.
• Combined, Google, Amazon, and Netflix will account for half of the entire global CTV advertising market by 2030.

The shift comes as media companies, streamers, retailers and technology giants race to secure premium positioning in connected households. Amazon is leveraging Prime Video and retail media integration to expand its TV advertising footprint, while Netflix continues to scale its advertising business globally through its ad-supported tier. Google remains dominant through YouTube’s massive connected TV reach and broader advertising infrastructure.

Omdia expects several trends to accelerate the transformation of television advertising over the next five years:

• Expansion of ad-supported streaming services
• Convergence of retail media and television advertising
• Growth in programmatic and targeted TV advertising
• Increasing importance of TV operating systems and smart TV ecosystems
• Greater competition for consumer attention and platform ownership

Omdia also revealed that the European TV operating system landscape is shifting rapidly. According to the research firm, VIDAA is becoming Europe’s third-largest TV operating system this year after Android TV and Tizen, overtaking several established competitors as manufacturers seek greater ownership of the smart TV experience.

“CTV companies are at risk of losing incredibly valued ground to these tech giants and many cannot afford to do so as the hardware business becomes increasingly unprofitable,” added David Tett, principal analyst at Omdia. “Strategies are needed to fight for their own advertising revenues in the new-look landscape and avoid ceding too much ground to players such as Google and Amazon.”

LONDON—Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” has surpassed 1 billion viewing hours, cementing its title as the most-watched film on Netflix, according to new research from Ampere Analysis.

The kids’ movie was the most popular movie on subscription streaming platforms in 2025 and was declared “the most-watched film of all time on Netflix” last summer, when it surpassed “Red Notice” with 256 million views.

“KPop Demon Hunters” is one of the first streaming original films to break into a space dominated by the franchises of major studios like Disney and NBCUniversal, Ampere said. It is also a rare example of an original film reaching a level of cultural impact reserved for flagship series such as “Squid Game” and “Stranger Things.”

Ampere’s analysis revealed:

• Hit Children & Family titles have longer viewing lifecycles. “KPop Demon Hunters” reached peak weekly viewing in its 11th week after release. In comparison,Ampere’s analysis of the top 20 most-viewed Original films released onNetflix shows they usually reach peak weekly viewership in week one or two andengagement diminishes quickly.
• Netflix has reduced commissioning in the genre. Children & Family content accounted for 4% of Netflix’s total commissions during 2024-2025, down from 9% during 2022-2023.
• This reflects a broader streaming platform trend. SVOD platforms have the lowest share of scripted Children & Family commissions than any other content type. Globally, they accounted for just 13% of Children & Family commissions in 2025, versus 47% for traditional TV outlets such as public service broadcasters. Increased reliance on ad-supported tiers, where monetizing children’s content is complex, and the rise in popularity of platforms like YouTube are contributing to the SVOD pullback.
• Despite this, kids’ content remains a key subscription driver. Among households with children, 35% say having TV shows and movies their children want to watch is a key subscription motivator (Ampere Q3 2025 Media Consumer data).
• The Children & Family genre continues to deliver strong engagement. In H2 2025, it generated 4.4 billion views, second only to Crime & Thriller, according to Ampere’s analysis of Netflix’s global viewing data of movies and TV seasons.

“The film’s musical core extended its reach beyond the platform and encouraged repeat viewing,” Ampere Research Manager Joe Hall said. “Its themes, grounded in the global Korean cultural wave, helped build a highly engaged international fan base. With a sequel already announced, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ shows there is still a lot of value in developing original IP that appeals across age demographics.”

After updating its TV user interface last year, Netflix is now making a big push to improve its mobile user experience with streamlined navigation and visual, vertical content discovery.

As part of that effort, Netflix is embracing vertical video with the launch of “Clips,” a vetical feed that offers a personalized highlight reel to help users discover content. On Clips, users can watch short clips from series, films and specials tailored to a user’s tastes.

The launch highlights the growing importance of vertical video for streaming platforms.

“Mobile is an important part of how Netflix members stay connected to the entertainment they love,” Netflix Chief Product and Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone said. “With our enhanced navigation and Clips, our new vertical video feed, we’re building on past learnings to deliver an experience designed for the way members want to enjoy Netflix on their phones: for the moments in between, to discover a new title, or a quick laugh. Our vision is to make our mobile experience as entertaining as what you watch, delivering increasingly personalized, immersive experiences for any mood or moment. This is just the beginning.”

These updates were launched on April 30 in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa, and will roll out worldwide in the months to come.

Over the last year, it has become clear that live events are the key to streamers’ longevity.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, Netflix broke a record, with one of its Christmas Day NFL games drawing 27.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen data. The event marked the most-streamed NFL game in U.S. history.

In addition to the Minnesota 
Vikings-Detroit Lions game, 
Netflix also streamed the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Commanders game on Christmas Day, reaching an average audience of 19.9 million viewers. Another Christmas NFL game was livestreamed by Prime Video and averaged 21.1 million viewers, making it Amazon’s most-watched “Thursday Night Football” regular-season game ever.

Nielsen data for each game covered only U.S. viewership, but the Netflix NFL games were available worldwide. According to the streamer, people in more than 200 countries tuned in to at least one of the 2025 NFL games, with the Lions-Vikings matchup attracting an average-minute audience of 30.5 million viewers worldwide and the Cowboys-Commanders game reaching 22.4 million.
According to Chris Hamilton, industry insights manager at global media and entertainment intelligence company Parrot Analytics, live events on streaming platforms are more important than ever.

Cultural Cache

“Streaming was originally built around deep on-demand libraries, but live events deliver something libraries cannot: simultaneous audiences and real-time cultural relevance,” Hamilton said.

“Netflix’s record-setting Christmas Day NFL streams were a clear signal that live programming is no longer a side strategy for streamers; it is becoming a core part of how major platforms drive engagement, monetize attention and strengthen their economics.”

Dan Rayburn, a streaming media expert and chairman of the NAB Show Streaming Summit, said that by the end of this year, streamers will increase their coverage of live NFL games as well as other live events.

He pointed to Apple and Formula 1 signing a five-year exclusive U.S. streaming deal last fall. The streamer reportedly pays Formula 1 approximately $150 million annually, making the deal worth $750 million. Apple also has streaming deals with MLB and Major League Soccer.

But while live sports are driving viewership on streamers, that doesn’t necessarily create a successful business.

Rayburn cited Peacock’s fourth-quarter operating loss of $552 million, compared with $372 million in 2025. The main cause for the loss was NBCUniversal’s 11-year, roughly $27.5 billion ($2.5 billion per year) NBA media rights deal, which began in the 2025–26 season.

No Loss Leader

“Peacock has a lot of sports. But look at how much money they lost in Q4,” Rayburn said. “Peacock is still unprofitable. They lost more than half a billion dollars in Q4. So it’s great you have a lot of sports, but if you are not profitable, does that matter?”

While live sports aren’t a magic economic fix for streamers, Hamilton said they help in three specific ways.

“They drive habitual usage, support premium advertising and make a platform feel essential in real time,” Hamilton said.

“In a business where reducing churn is just as important as adding new customers, that makes sports a powerful strategic asset. The rights fees are eye-watering, but for the biggest platforms, the retention and advertising math is increasingly justifying the investment.”

When it comes to streaming and AI, the technology is not being utilized as much as it is in other industries, such as film and television production. Streamers are using the technology for video compression and large language models for content discovery and personalization.

“AI is completely overblown when it comes to streaming,” Rayburn said.

“The place you see AI is in the video workflow. So if there is a three-hour sporting event, the moment the sporting event is over, you want to be able to chop up the highlights to only show the place where someone hit a home run. That’s where AI can look at that video, automatically clip it and create a video and package.

“Whether it’s ingestion, contribution or coding clipping, those are the places where AI tools will come into the video stack over time,” he added. “But right now, it’s still extremely early.”

Filling Niches

The consistent desire of Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon to appeal to the masses has enabled the growth of niche streaming platforms that serve specific audiences through genre-focused content.

But discovery and sustainability make it hard for niche streamers to sustain success.

“Long term, the strongest niche services will be the ones that either own a fandom so completely that subscribers see them as essential, or position themselves as the must-have specialist inside a larger aggregation ecosystem or bundle,” Hamilton said. “Just as importantly, they need to monetize community, not just content, through curation, identity, events, commerce and features that make the service feel like a hub for a passion and not just another video app.”

Two examples of successful niche platforms are Crunchyroll, a global anime brand and streaming service, and BritBox, owned by BBC Studios and focused on British television. Crunchyroll surpassed 17 million paid subscribers last year. BritBox boasts 4 million subscribers across the U.S., Canada, Australia and the Nordics.

Robert Schildhouse, the BBC Studios CEO of direct-to-consumer, has oversight of BritBox.

“We’re not trying to replicate the scale of general entertainment streamers,” Schildhouse said.

“Our ambition is to become a mainstream American brand but one that’s synonymous with a specific promise: the best of British television. In that sense, success looks less like mass-
market dominance and more like being a trusted destination for premium content with deep audience loyalty.”

Like last year, there will be more subscription price hikes, more bundling offers and more streamer fatigue in 2026. What would make streaming in 2026 dramatically different from 2025 is if Paramount Global can close on its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Hamilton predicts that if a merger happens, “the total demand for content on that combined platform would roughly match Netflix. That would leave three services realistically competing to be the entertainment anchor for households — Netflix, Disney+/Hulu and a hypothetical HBO Max/Paramount+ combination.

“Everyone else would need to define their role more clearly, either as a specialist or as a service built around churn-and-return behavior rather than always-on subscription status,” he said.

© 2026 NAB

NEW YORK—EverPass Media has reached an expanded commercial distribution agreement with Netflix that includes distribution of future live sports events to commercial establishments in the United States.

The first event under the expanded deal is the Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov matchup, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The fight is available to stream globally on Netflix. Fans watching in U.S. commercial establishments can catch the event exclusively via the EverPass platform. The fight will come standard for all new and existing EverPass streaming customers through the “EverPass Core” package.

“Expanding our relationship with Netflix – following our successful partnership to bring the NFL Christmas Day games to audiences in bars and restaurants nationwide – marks another significant step forward for EverPass and the commercial marketplace,” said Alex Kaplan, CEO of EverPass Media. “Our ability to secure commercial distribution rights for tentpole sports events and must-see matchups reinforces the value of our platform by ensuring our customers can consistently deliver in-demand content. We’re pleased to offer the Fury vs. Makhmudov bout to streaming customers, providing reliable, seamless access to the events that drive traffic and engagement.”

EverPass was founded in 2023 in partnership with RedBird Capital Partners and 32 Equity, the strategic investment arm of the National Football League. TKO Group Holdings, parent company of UFC and WWE, joined as an investor in 2024.

EverPass works with rightsholders and distributors to deliver sports and entertainment programming for commercial businesses. EverPass’ library of premium content includes NFL Sunday Ticket; Peacock Sports Pass (Premier League, Big Ten football and basketball); Prime Video (Thursday Night Football, NBA, WNBA, NWSL, NASCAR); ESPN+ (College football and basketball, NHL, PGA TOUR and more), Apple TV (MLS, F1, “Friday Night Baseball”), Paramount+ (UEFA Champions League) and more.

More information is available here: https://everpass.com/.

NAB criticized Netflix’s exclusive coverage of the marquee game of Major League Baseball’s Opening Day, and used the criticism to continue its campaign against the fragmentation of sports TV.

In a blog on nab.org, the association said that instituting a paywall to watch the New York Yankees take on the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on March 25 contradicted the idea that viewers should be able to view “American’s pastime” for free.

“On Opening Day, baseball should feel like a national holiday. Friends and families gather around TVs and radios in living rooms, bars and break rooms across America,” the NAB wrote. “But this year, many fans were met with something else: a paywall. Major League Baseball’s high-profile streaming debut on Netflix sparked confusion, frustration and backlash from fans who simply wanted to watch their teams play.”

NAB’s comments are part of the association’s “Keep the Game On” campaign launched in late 2025 to promote the concept that live sports should remain free on broadcast TV. The association has also tied the idea to its continued push for relaxing ownership rules that would allow broadcasters to better compete with the likes of Amazon, Apple TV—and yes, Netflix—which are increasingly outbidding broadcasters for sports rights.

It also comes as Netflix announced another price hike this week. The company’s ad-supported plan has gone from $7.99 to $8.99 a month; the standard plan is now $19.99 a month, up from $17.99; and its premium plan has increased from $24.99 to $26.99

Pricing for extra members also went up, with ad-supported plans now costing $6.99 per additional non-household user, up from $5.99, and ad-free add-ons now costing $9.99, up from $8.99 each.

“We're updating our prices to keep improving what you already love. Expect fresh, can’t-miss shows and movies every week (including 100 new releases next month),” the streaming service said in its note to subscribers.

If there's one thing baseball fans treasure, it's tradition. And NAB thinks that Netflix’s coverage was frivolous and distracting.

“USA Today noted the uneven viewing experience and questioned whether the streaming-first approach delivered for fans,” NAB wrote. “Awful Announcing criticized the broadcast itself as feeling more like marketing than meaningful coverage.”

Besides the mediocre coverage, the association said the trend of more sports moving behind paywalls will be a loss for American sports fans.

“This moment is part of a trend making it harder and more expensive for Americans to follow the teams they love,” the NAB wrote. “A recent breakdown shows just how fragmented and costly sports access has become, with fans juggling multiple subscriptions just to keep up across leagues and platforms. What used to be available in one place, often for free over the air, is now scattered across apps, exclusive deals and premium tiers.

“Live sports are one of the last truly shared cultural experiences in America, bringing communities together regardless of background or belief,” NAB added. “Local television and radio stations are at the center of that connection, delivering games freely to millions. As more games move behind paywalls controlled by global streaming platforms, that shared experience begins to erode. We risk turning a unifying national pastime into a fragmented, premium product available only to those who can afford it.

The NAB pointed out that the FCC is currently seeking public notice on sports broadcasting. Deadline for first public comment period is today, March 27.

“Consumer outcry has not gone unnoticed. The Federal Communications Commission is currently asking for public comment on how the shift from sports on broadcasting to behind streaming paywalls is impacting consumers. You can make your voice heard here. Tell Washington: Keep sports on local TV.”

Little more than two decades old, Alpha’s YouTube service has been crowned the world’s largest media company by a prominent research firm.

Financial research firm MoffettNathanson has estimated that the streaming service, which reportedly earned $60 billion in revenue in 2025, actually brought in $62 billion last year, which would exceed The Walt Disney Co.’s $60.9 billion revenues earned in its media business in 2025.

MoffettNathanson had already crowned YouTube as the “new king of all media” and values the streaming service at an estimated $500-560 billion, which outpaces its closest rival, Netflix, with a current market cap of just under $509 billion.

YouTube earned more than $40 billion in ad revenue in 2025 and also takes in revenues from its subscription services, which include YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, NFL Sunday Ticket, and the YouTube TV virtual multichannel video service, which has about 10 million in subscriptions. YouTube says it has paid $100 billion to creators, music companies and media partners.

The researcher says the streaming service shows no signs of slowing down.

“Over the next few years, unlike almost any other asset we cover, we strongly believe that YouTube will be a major beneficiary of both the structural tailwinds and headwinds facing technology and media companies,” Michael Nathanson wrote in his report.

After launching the Netflix Ads Suite last year, Netflix has announced that it is continuing to add new ways for brands to buy and measure ads on Netflix. The new capabilities allow advertisers to tap into new targeting capabilities, better manage how often ads appear across streamers, and reach specific audiences at scale on our ad-supported plan.

The improvements include new targeting integrations with Amazon and Yahoo DSPs and the rollout of its own Conversion API (CAPI) to help advertisers validate full-funnel outcomes. In the announcement, Netflix also highlighted its early testing work with Tinuiti, the largest independent full-funnel marketing agency in the U.S.

Starting in Q2 in the U.S.— and rolling out to other ad-supported countries later this year—Netflix reported that clients will have new ways to connect with the right audiences on Netflix through expanded targeting capabilities via Amazon DSP and Yahoo DSP.

More specifically, advertisers will now be able to leverage Amazon Audiences to inform their programmatic buys on Netflix. Built from trillions of Amazon's proprietary shopping, streaming, and browsing signals, the segments are built on real audience behavior. They help advertisers reach relevant Netflix members based on their lifestyles, interests, and products they are actively shopping for. By applying Amazon’s exclusive signals to Netflix’s highly engaged viewers, advertisers can reach the right audiences and drive even stronger performance, Netflix reported.

When buying through Yahoo DSP, advertisers can now also activate deterministic Yahoo DSP audiences on Netflix deals. These audiences are powered by hundreds of millions of global Yahoo interest, behavioral, purchase, and life stage signals. This gives advertisers another way to connect their message to the right Netflix member, making campaigns feel more timely and relevant for our viewers.

To address the growing demand among advertisers for full-funnel solutions, Netflix also reported that it now offers its own Conversion API (CAPI) tools. Netflix’s API is designed to help advertisers prove outcomes and will leverage real-time insights to optimize campaigns.

Earlier this year, the streamer partnered with Tinuiti, the largest independent full-funnel marketing agency in the U.S., on early testing and saw great attribution results. The campaigns outperformed benchmarks by more than 75% across financial services, ed tech, and retail clients.

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters has suggested the streamer could host content from traditional broadcasters as the way audiences watch continues to evolve.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Peters suggested Netflix could help broadcasters “make sure that content gets to as big an audience as possible”.

“Our job is to think about that not only from the BBC’s perspective, but a lot of broadcasters,” he added. “How can we help them connect with audiences that otherwise they’re not really connecting with? We’re eager to do that.”

Last year, Netflix agreed a deal with French broadcaster TF1 to carry both its linear and on-demand content from this summer.

Speaking at the time, Peters described the deal as playing to Netflix’s “strengths of giving audiences the best entertainment alongside the best discovery experience”.

In January, the BBC confirmed a strategic partnership with YouTube, which will see it create and distribute content for the video platform.

[This article originally appeared in our sister publication TVBEurope.]

NEW YORK—While YouTube continues to attract the largest share of TV viewing, January 2026 data shows that Disney captured the largest month-over-month gain in Nielsen’s January 2026 Media Distributor Gauge report, a monthly view of total TV consumption aggregated by parent company.

The report also noted that in January television viewing reached a 12-month high, Disney added 1.2 share points and finished with 11.9% of total television viewing in January, nearly tying its Media Distributor Gauge best (12.0% in January 2025), and bringing it within 0.6 share points of YouTube’s 12.5% lead.

Disney’s momentum was primarily fueled by ESPN’s coverage of the College Football Playoffs and Championship games, which drove an 82% monthly viewing increase on the network and contributed nearly a full share point to Disney’s total.

Disney also got a boost from its ABC affiliates, with viewing up 10% among them on the strength of multiple NFL games, the Citrus Bowl, the return of broadcast dramas, and seasonal staples like "New Year’s Rockin’ Eve" and "The Rose Bowl Parade". ABC’s "High Potential" and "ABC World News Tonight" were notably the top broadcast programs in each of their respective genres in January.

Netflix represented 8.8% of TV usage in January and maintained the No. 3 rank among distributors. Netflix’s overall usage was up slightly in January (+1%), and its original series "Stranger Things" claimed the top streaming program for a second consecutive month.

NFL games carried on NBC, plus simulcasts on Peacock, were a key factor in the 5% overall increase to NBCU-Versant this month. Peacock also benefited from a new season of its original series "The Traitors". Additionally, Telemundo affiliates saw a 13% jump in viewership powered by the sports reality hit "Exatlón", bringing the network’s monthly share contribution to 0.7 points. Overall, NBCU-Versant represented 8.5% of TV viewership in January (+0.3 points vs. December).

Fox climbed to 7.4% of TV viewership in January (+0.4 share points). This growth was largely underpinned by a 17% jump in viewing on Fox News Channel, which accounted for more than half (+0.25 share points) of Fox’s monthly share increase.

Led by increases on FYI (+46%) and Lifetime (+14%), A&E’s combined viewership climbed 8% in January (+0.1 share point) and moved up one slot in the distributor rankings.

Nielsen noted that while Versant formally completed its spin-off of NBCUniversal cable networks in early January, advertising sales for both entities have been retained by NBCU. For this reason, and to preserve data trends and insights in these reports, Nielsen said that NBCU and Versant will be reported together in the Media Distributor Gauge. However, to further acknowledge the change, the companies’ respective shares will be included in the Media Distributor Gauge chart.

The January 2026 interval spanned four weeks, from 12/29/2025 through 01/25/2026. Nielsen reporting follows the broadcast calendar, with weekly intervals beginning on Monday.

LONDON–New research from Ampere Analysis highlights the critical role that international markets are playing in Netflix’s programming strategies with new data showing that in 2025, 52% of Netflix’s original TV season releases were non-English-language.

This was the first time that non-English-language TV originals made up more than half of the TV originals and represents the highest yearly share to date, up from 49% in 2024, Ampere reported.

Movies, however, remain more English-language focused, with non-English titles accounting for 44% of releases.

Rahul Patel, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, argued that “crossing the 52% threshold is a meaningful milestone for Netflix. For the first time, non-English-language titles now form the majority of its Original TV releases, highlighting how global and local content strategies are no longer peripheral, but central to the platform’s growth. And when non-English-language titles travel beyond their local market and perform well internationally – such as Korean-language Bon Appétit, Your Majesty and German-language Cassandra – they provide stronger returns on content investment for the global streamer.”

Other key findings include:

• Spanish remains the leading non-English language for Netflix Original TV releases, accounting for 21% of new original TV seasons in 2025. However, the genre mix shifted significantly: scripted content rose from 63% of Spanish-language titles in 2024 to 86% in 2025. Comedy recorded the fastest growth, increasing from 6% (sixth place) in 2024 to 19% (second place) in 2025. Crime and thriller remained the most common genre.
• Korean and Japanese content saw some of the most notable year-on-year changes. Korean-language originals gained the most ground, rising from 12% of non-English original TV releases in 2024 to 20% in 2025. This growth was driven by scripted hits such as "Squid Game: Season 3" and "When Life Gives You Tangerines", as well as multiple seasons of unscripted titles, including "Getaway and Go with Jangdobari" and "Screwballs".
• Ampere expects Korean content to continue growing in strategic importance for Netflix. 2025 was a banner year for Korean-language TV commissions, with 39 seasons announced.
• Japanese was among the major languages to lose the most ground. Japanese-language original releases declined year over year, from 6% of original TV releases in 2024 to 4% in 2025.
• Netflix is more reliant on acquired Japanese titles. Of all acquired TV seasons available on Netflix in 2025, 20% were Japanese – second only to English (43%) and ahead of Korean (14%).
• Anime remains an exception to Netflix’s broader push towards original self-sufficiency. In 2025, 67% of acquired Japanese TV seasons available on the platform were animated, while only four original animated Japanese TV seasons were released.
• While non-English-language original titles accounted for a majority of new TV season releases in 2025, in terms of original content spend, English-language productions still represent a majority.

LOS GATOS, Calif.—Netflix generally exceeded Wall Street’s expectations and its own forecasts in Q4 2025 as the streamer passed the 325 million subscriber milestone during the quarter and posted $12.05 billion in revenue and $2.42 billion in net income.

For the full year, Netflix reported $45.18 billion in revenue, $10.98 billion in net income and $2.58 earnings per share, up from $2.03 last year.

“With our strong Q4 results, we met or exceeded all of our full year 2025 financial objectives,” management noted in a letter to shareholders. “We grew revenue 16% to $45B (+17% on a F/X neutral basis) and we increased our operating margin to 29.5% for the year, up from 26.7% in 2024. We also made great progress growing advertising revenue. In 2025, which was only our third year selling advertising, ad revenue grew by more than 2.5x vs. 2024 to over $1.5 billion.”

It also reported ongoing increases in viewing. “In the second half of 2025, our members watched 96 billion hours on Netflix, up 2% (+1.5 billion hours) year over year vs. a 1% increase in the first half of the year. This growth was driven by viewing of our originals, which was up 9% year over year in the second half of 2025 due, in part, to our strong Q4 branded slate.”

Earlier in the day, Nielsen released data showing that Netflix helped streaming set several records in December of 2025. Overall, Netflix had about 9.0% of TV viewing in December. Netflix viewership was up 10% month-over-month, with increases largely driven by "Stranger Things", which generated over 15 billion viewing minutes and was December’s most-watched streaming title, according to Nielsen.

Netflix stock, however, fell by 4.5% by 6 p.m. ET in afterhours trading.

In terms of 2026, the company said that based on F/X rates as of 1/1/2026, we forecast revenue of $50.7B-$51.7B. This represents 12%-14% year over year growth (or 11%-13% F/X neutral growth), driven by increases in membership and pricing plus a projected rough doubling of ad revenue in 2026 vs. 2025. We’re targeting a 2026 operating margin of 31.5% (based on 1/1/26 F/X rates), up from 29.5% in 2025, which includes approximately $275M of acquisition-related expenses. Our margin forecast also reflects content amortization growth of ~10% in 2026, with higher growth in the first half than the second half due to the timing of title launches. As a result, we expect higher operating income growth in the second half of 2026 than in the first half.”

The earnings were released on the same day that Netflix and WBD announced a revision to Netflix’s offer for some of WBD’s assets to make it an all cash offer.

“We believe our proposed purchase of Warner Bros. will allow us to accelerate our business strategy. Together, we see two main areas of opportunity,” the company said in a letter to shareholders. “First, Warner Bros.’ library, development and IP will allow us to provide an even broader and higher-quality selection of content for members; and, second, the addition of HBO Max will allow us to offer more personalized and flexible subscription options, better meeting the diverse preferences of our global audience. Netflix and Warner Bros. are highly complementary businesses and together we’ll be able to offer more opportunities to creators and strengthen the entire entertainment industry. This will allow us to offer more choice and greater value to consumers. Additionally, we’ll expand production capacity in the US and abroad and grow investment in original content over the long-term, which will create jobs and help sustain a healthy entertainment industry.”

HOLLYWOOD & NEW YORK—As Paramount steps up its efforts to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix and WBD have announced that they’ve amended their definitive agreement for Netflix's pending acquisition of Warner Bros. to make it an all-cash transaction.

The revised agreement simplifies the transaction structure, provides "greater certainty of value" for WBD stockholders, and accelerates the path to a WBD stockholder vote, the two companies reported.

In addition WBD filed a preliminary proxy statement about the transaction with the Securities and Exchange Commission and released data on the value of the cable networks that will be spun off into a separate company if the Netflix deal to acquire certain WBD assets, including HBO and WBD’s movies and TV studios, is approved.

The revised agreement comes a week after Paramount Skydance announced that it was launching a proxy fight and was suing WBC in Delaware.

Netflix is likely to provide more details on the acquisition when it reports Q4, 2025 earnings after the markets close on Jan. 20.

The revised transaction structure is expected to enable WBD stockholders to vote on the proposed transaction by April 2026, rather than late spring or early summer. To support this accelerated timeline, WBD has filed its preliminary proxy statement with the SEC.

"Today's revised merger agreement brings us even closer to combining two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world and with it even more people enjoying the entertainment they love to watch the most," said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. "By coming together with Netflix, we will combine the stories Warner Bros. has told that have captured the world's attention for more than a century and ensure audiences continue to enjoy them for generations to come."

"The WBD Board continues to support and unanimously recommend our transaction, and we are confident that it will deliver the best outcome for stockholders, consumers, creators and the broader entertainment community," said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix. "Our revised all-cash agreement will enable an expedited timeline to a stockholder vote and provide greater financial certainty at $27.75 per share in cash, plus the value from the planned separation of Discovery Global. Together, Netflix and Warner Bros. will deliver broader choice and greater value to audiences worldwide, enhancing access to world-class television and film both at home and in theaters. The acquisition will also significantly expand U.S. production capacity and investment in original programming, driving job creation and long-term industry growth."

The all-cash transaction continues to be valued at $27.75 per WBD share, unchanged from the prior transaction structure. WBD stockholders will also receive the additional value of shares of Discovery Global following its separation from WBD. The transaction will be financed through a combination of cash on hand, available credit facilities and committed financing.

"Over the last decade, when much of the entertainment industry has contracted, Netflix has grown and invested tremendously in the business of film and television in the U.S. and abroad. This transaction will further fuel that growth and investment," said Greg Peters, co-CEO of Netflix. "By amending our agreement today, we are underscoring what we have believed all along: not only does our transaction provide superior stockholder value, it is also fundamentally pro-consumer, pro-innovation, pro-creator and pro-growth. Our revised all-cash agreement demonstrates our commitment to the transaction with Warner Bros. and provides WBD stockholders with an accelerated process and the financial certainty of cash consideration, while maintaining our commitment to a healthy balance sheet and our solid investment grade ratings. We will continue to work closely with WBD to successfully complete the transaction as we remain focused on our mission to entertain the world and, together, define the next century of storytelling."

BRISTOL, UK—Global usage of ad-supported subscription tiers increased across Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max between Q4 2024 and Q3 2025, according to Digital i research.

The highest growth in adoption was on Netflix, with 40% of active accounts using its Standard with Ads plan in Q3 2025, in the 20 countries measured by Digital i.

This was up by 14% from the 26% of subscribers on that tier in Q4 2024 that were recorded in Digital i’s trend report, Evolving Streamer Strategies, last year.

According to Comscore’s State of Streaming 2025 report, time spent on major ad-supported streamers rose 43% in 2025 with Netflix’s ad-supported plan now accounting for 45% of total household viewing hours in the United States. This is up from 34% in August 2024.

Ad-supported tier usage rose from 35% to 44% on Disney+ during that period and from 22% to 28% on HBO Max. Amazon’s streamer Prime Video remains the service with the highest ad-supported tier usage, but this fell from 88% of subscribers in Q4 2024 to 82% in Q3 2025.

Digital i measures streaming audience data in the U.S., Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Australia, South Korea and Japan.

NEW YORK—Warner Bros. Discovery’s board has voted unanimously to recommend that shareholders reject Paramount Skydance’s newest tender offer as “insufficient” and “risky."

The board concluded that the revised Dec. 22 Paramount offer “remains inferior” to the deal it accepted from Netflix for a variety of reasons, including the “extraordinary amount of debt financing” that would create significant risks.

In December, Netflix struck a deal with WBD to acquire certain assets, including HBO and the Warner Bros. film and TV studios, for $82.7 billion.

“The Board unanimously determined that Paramount's latest offer remains inferior to our merger agreement with Netflix across multiple key areas,” Warner Bros. Discovery chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr. said. “Paramount’s offer continues to provide insufficient value, including terms such as an extraordinary amount of debt financing that create risks to close and lack of protections for our shareholders if a transaction is not completed. Our binding agreement with Netflix will offer superior value at greater levels of certainty, without the significant risks and costs Paramount’s offer would impose on our shareholders.”

Paramount Skydance countered with a hostile takeover bid offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Warner Bros. Discovery for $30 per share in cash, or about $108.4 billion.

After this was rejected by the WBD board, Paramount issued a revised offer on Dec. 22.

In a note to investors, analysts Richard Greenfield, Brandon Ross and Mark Kelley at LightShed Partners concluded: ”For Paramount to win, it not only needs to raise its bid substantially above $30/share (one or two dollars incremental is likely irrelevant), it also needs to change the composition of its bid to absorb the billions of costs associated with abandoning the Netflix bid and shift the financing from mostly debt to mostly cash (they can take out debt post-close, not before). Not to mention, the far larger amount of cash needed would have to come from sources that do not create potential regulatory risks (Middle East/CFIUS). There is still a path for Paramount to outbid Netflix with a substantially higher bid, but it will require an overhaul of their current bid, and a dramatic increase in the cash invested from the Ellison family and/or their friends and financing partners.”

The news of Netflix finally bagging Warner Bros. Discovery landed with the weary familiarity usually reserved for a cancelled flight or that uniquely British phenomenon of a replacement bus service. For years, the smart money—and even the slightly dull money—has suggested that the streaming world was due a serious bout of consolidation.

Well, safe to say, it’s here. And while the paperwork is still being sorted, the implications for everyone—from the sofa-bound viewer to the harassed content executive—are already becoming depressingly clear.

The End of the Scramble for Streaming
From an industry point of view, this merger is simply a confirmation that the mad dash of the last decade is over. That slightly chaotic phase—let's call it the "Launch-a-Streamer-and-Hope-for-the-Best era"—where subscriber numbers were treated like gold dust, regardless of whether the balance sheet resembled a disaster zone, has been politely shown the door.

We have moved into the grown-up phase. This game is now less about novelty and more about scale, cost efficiencies, and generally being tidy. By hoovering up WBD, Netflix isn't just getting a vault full of enviable content; it’s getting the chance to ruthlessly rationalise duplicated infrastructure, eliminate overlapping rights, and generally apply its formidable efficiency engine to an entity full of old school systems and clutter. It is, if nothing else, exceedingly sensible.

The Plight of the Middle Market
All this tidiness, however, creates a rather awkward situation for the Middle Tier Streamers. These poor souls—let's call them “Paramount’s”—are neither niche enough to be truly essential nor quite massive enough to compete with this newly combined behemoth. For them, the days of simply existing as digital wallpaper are quite abruptly over. Differentiation is no longer a strategic consideration; it’s survival. It probably didn’t help when the cancelled Colbert.

That’s no doubt the reason for their own hostile bid. A Paramount-WBD merger would combine two companies with deep linear TV and ad-sales DNA, with a platform spanning premium streaming, free FAST, and live news/sports. But the death of competition and the infusion of political agendas is always bad news for the people sitting on the sofa.

And this is where channels with a clear sense of self—like JOURNY, with its dedication to the slightly more refined pursuits of travel, discovery, and cultural storytelling—find themselves in a surprisingly agreeable position. They offer what the mega-platforms, for all their might, often struggle to replicate: specificity, depth, and a bespoke point of view. They are the digital equivalent of a reliable local pub, rather than a cavernous, identical chain establishment.

The Consumer’s Mixed Bag
For the audience, the consequences are, as ever, a mixed bag—possibly a mixed bag delivered inside another, smaller, but equally jumbled bag, just for good measure.

On the one hand, those tired of juggling login details for five different services may well cheer the arrival of "more stuff under fewer roofs." Who doesn't appreciate simplicity? On the other hand, one must be a touch naive to ignore the possibility that fewer competitors might eventually lead to higher prices, more aggressive tiered subscriptions, or simply less adventurous commissioning.

Convenience, much like the perfect cup of tea, rarely arrives without a modest cost. Consolidation streamlines the experience, yes, but it risks flattening the creative landscape. Less faff, perhaps, but quite possibly less flavour.

The Glorious Future of FAST
And then there is FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV)—a sector that continues to expand at a pace that suggests someone, somewhere, is having a perfectly marvellous time.

The Netflix–WBD marriage only accelerates this. Both companies have already accepted that advertising is not the grubby cousin of subscription streaming, but an essential financial pillar. A combined, enormous library means an almost limitless supply of long-tail programming, which is absolutely ideal for the lean-back, low-commitment environment of FAST. Expect rationalization, more thematic verticals, and an abundance of channels designed for those who just want simple, free, high-quality viewing without committing to yet another monthly direct debit.

And this is where niche services like JOURNY truly benefit. As the SVOD giants narrow their focus to eye-wateringly expensive, high-stakes exclusives, the FAST ecosystem becomes the natural home for curated, evergreen, thematic experiences—a perfect fit for genres like travel. In a paradox worthy of (the-Disney-abused) Doctor Who, the consolidation of the big players may actually create valuable breathing room for the smaller, more personality-driven channels on the free side.

Ultimately, the Netflix–WBD deal signals that streaming has finally entered the age of the sensible investor. The whimsical expansion of the past decade has been replaced by consolidation, fiscal discipline, and an emphasis on sustainability. The giants will certainly get bigger. But the spaces between them—the pocket universes, the services that offer audiences something with genuine personality—may suddenly have become the most valuable real estate of all.

And if nothing else, the titans of entertainment will crawl forward at the speed of lawyers, meaning I will probably be writing a variation of this commentary in three years.

NEW YORK—Warner Bros. Discovery’s Board of Directors has unanimously voted to recommend that shareholders reject the tender offer launched by Paramount Skydance.

In making the decision, the Board called the Paramount offer “inferior” to the Netflix deal and raised a number of questions about the financing and risks associated with accepting Paramount’s proposal, arguing that it does not provide a full financial backstop from the Ellison family.

"Following a careful evaluation of Paramount's recently launched tender offer, the Board concluded that the offer's value is inadequate, with significant risks and costs imposed on our shareholders," said Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr., chair of the Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors. "This offer once again fails to address key concerns that we have consistently communicated to Paramount throughout our extensive engagement and review of their six previous proposals. We are confident that our merger with Netflix represents superior, more certain value for our shareholders and we look forward to delivering on the compelling benefits of our combination."

In a letter to shareholders outlining the decision, the Board said that after conducting a detailed review of the Paramount (PSKY) offer, it “continues to unanimously recommend the Netflix merger, and that you reject the PSKY offer and not tender your shares.”

In making that decision the Board said that “The terms of the Netflix merger are superior. The PSKY offer provides inadequate value and imposes numerous, significant risks and costs on WBD.”

The letter also raised questions about the financing for the Paramount Skydance offer, noting that “PSKY has consistently misled WBD shareholders that its proposed transaction has a `full backstop' from the Ellison family. It does not, and never has…PSKY's most recent proposal includes a $40.65 billion equity commitment, for which there is no Ellison family commitment of any kind. Instead, they propose that you rely on an unknown and opaque revocable trust for the certainty of this crucial deal funding. Despite having been told repeatedly by WBD how important a full and unconditional financing commitment from the Ellison family was – and despite their own ample resources, as well as multiple assurances by PSKY during our strategic review process that such a commitment was forthcoming – the Ellison family has chosen not to backstop the PSKY offer.”

The letter also argued that a “revocable trust is no replacement for a secured commitment by a controlling stockholder. The assets and liabilities of the trust are not publicly disclosed and are subject to change. As the name indicates, revocable trusts typically have provisions allowing for assets to be moved at any time. And the documents provided by PSKY for this conditional commitment contain gaps, loopholes and limitations that put you, our shareholders, and our company at risk. Amplifying the concerns about the credibility of the equity commitment being offered by PSKY, the revocable trust and PSKY have agreed that the trust's liability for damages, even in the case of a willful breach, would be capped at 7% of its commitment ($2.8 billion on a $108.4 billion transaction). Of course, the damage to WBD and its stockholders were the trust or PSKY to breach their obligations to close a transaction would likely be many multiples of this amount.”

The letter also touted the advantages of the deal with Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. studio, HBO and HBO Max assets. “Our agreement with Netflix gives WBD shareholders $23.25 in cash, plus $4.50 in shares of Netflix common stock (based on a collar range of $97.91 - $119.67 in the Netflix stock price at the time of closing), plus the additional value of the shares of Discovery Global and the opportunity to participate in future potential upside following Discovery Global's separation from WBD. The entire Board is confident in our recommendation that Netflix represents the best value-creating path for shareholders.”

Netflix applauded the boards decision to recommend the streamer's offer. "The Warner Bros. Discovery Board reinforced that Netflix's merger agreement is superior and that our acquisition is in the best interest of stockholders," said Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO. "This was a competitive process that delivered the best outcome for consumers, creators, stockholders and the broader entertainment industry. Netflix and Warner Bros. complement each other, and we're excited to combine our strengths with their theatrical film division, world-class television studio, and the iconic HBO brand, which will continue to focus on prestige television. We're also fully committed to releasing Warner Bros. films in theaters, with a traditional window, so audiences everywhere can enjoy them on the big screen."

The full letter to shareholders from the Warner Bros. Discovery board can be found here.

NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES—Netflix and iHeartMedia have announced an exclusive video podcasting deal that will see 15 popular original iHeartPodcasts start streaming exclusively on Netflix in early 2026 in the US, with more markets to follow.

“Audio podcasting has been the fastest-growing medium over the past 20 years, and now we’re thrilled to expand that experience with an exciting new category - video podcasts. Netflix has a leading video-first service, and this partnership perfectly complements our strong audio foundation. Working with Netflix—an important leader in entertainment— gives fans one more way to connect with the personalities they love and opens the door to new audiences, including viewers discovering these shows for the first time,” said Bob Pittman, CEO of iHeartMedia. “These shows feature dynamic hosts, compelling conversations, and passionate fan communities—available in both audio and now as a natural video extension. Audiences can now not only listen but also watch and enjoy top-rated iHeartPodcasts alongside award-winning series and movies from Netflix.”

The lineup of podcasts joining the streamer includes “The Breakfast Club,” co-hosted by Charlamagne tha God and one of the biggest broadcast radio shows in the country; “My Favorite Murder,” one of the most successful true crime podcasts; shows from high profile talent such as Grammy-nominated music superstars Fat Joe and Jadakiss on “Joe and Jada,” “Dear Chelsea” with Chelsea Handler and “This Is Important” with “Workaholics” stars Adam Devine, Anders Holm and Blake Anderson; “Bobby Bones Presents: The Bobbycast” from award winning Radio & TV personality Bobby Bones; “as well as category-defining series “The Psychology of Your 20s.”

“With this partnership we are incredibly excited to offer our members such unmatched variety, and to deliver highly entertaining podcasts featuring some of the world’s most dynamic personalities,” added Lauren Smith, Netflix vice president of content licensing and programming strategy. “Get ready to dive in with the true crime phenomenon My Favorite Murder, the dynamic perspectives of The Breakfast Club, and the sharp, unfiltered comedy of Chelsea Handler in this initial collection.”

iHeartMedia retains all audio-only rights and distribution for the shows included in the deal. All podcasts will continue to be available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.

Netflix and iHeartMedia described the podcasts as follows.

• “The Breakfast Club,” the hit radio replay podcast that recently surpassed one billion downloads, features hosts DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Loren LoRosa and Charlamagne Tha God breaking down the latest in news and culture.
• “Bobby Bones Presents: The Bobbycast,” the hit music and entertainment podcast, features host Bobby Bones—radio and TV personality, two-time New York Times best-selling author, and youngest-ever National Radio Hall of Fame inductee—sitting down with some of the biggest names in music and entertainment.
• “My Favorite Murder,” a hit original true crime show with approximately two billion lifetime downloads featuring hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark.
• “Dear Chelsea,” a weekly advice show with host Chelsea Handler answering listener questions alongside celebrity guests.
• “Joe and Jada,” Grammy-nominated music superstars Fat Joe and Jadakiss to link up twice a week to discuss the news dominating music, sports and culture and interview influential figures across those sectors for candid and compelling conversations.
• “This Is Important,” a hit comedy podcast, features “Workaholics” stars Adam Devine, Anders Holm and Blake Anderson seriously discussing some very important topics.
• “The Psychology of Your 20s,” the top-ranked mental health podcast, is a biweekly guide to surviving growing pains through psychology with host Jemma Sbeg.
• “Behind the Bastards,” a fan-favorite history podcast, goes into the bizarre realities that formed the lives of some very bad people with host Robert Evans.
• “Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know,” a curiosity podcast, delves into the unexplained with hosts Matt Frederick, Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown.
• “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” a curiosity podcast, sees hosts Holly Frey and Tracy Wilson recount the strangest, most unusual untold stories that weren’t covered in school.
• “Stuff To Blow Your Mind,” a curiosity podcast, examines just how weird reality is with hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick.
• “New Rory & MAL,” the culture and sports podcast featuring Jamil 'Mal' Clay and Rory Farrell always bringing the hottest takes.
• “3 and Out with John Middlekauff,” the sports podcast features former NFL scout John Middleauff giving his unique perspective on college and professional football.
• “Buried Bones,” a history and true crime podcast, features journalist Kate Winkler Dawson and retired investigator Paul Holes dissecting the most compelling cases from centuries ago.

Over the course of my career as a media and entertainment lawyer, I was lucky enough to serve as general counsel of HBO Latin America, long considered a gold standard in content. So much so that 10 years ago, Netflix famously said that its goal is to become "HBO before HBO becomes Netflix."

The headlines around Warner Bros. Discovery’s bidding process and the latest carriage fights look familiar: more consolidation, more debt and more cost reduction through synergies. What’s changed is what matters most. In today’s media landscape, where nearly every company operates a direct-to-consumer platform, the real leverage increasingly comes from a world-class product and user experience — the critical but underexamined lens for evaluating media M&A.

YouTube: When the Gatekeeper Is the Product
YouTube may be the clearest illustration of the new power dynamics.

It has become the dominant gateway into the pay-TV ecosystem through product excellence not content ownership. YouTube TV ranks among the top U.S. pay-TV providers for linear channels, while YouTube commands the largest share of streaming viewership–exceeding any single competitor.

The recent Disney–YouTube TV standoff illustrates YouTube’s rising influence. The negotiations looked less like a blow-up and more like two companies with real leverage crafting terms well outside of the legacy playbook, reflecting streaming era dynamics that are about more than rates — encompassing data, content ingestion rights and access.

A New Framework for Media M&A
YouTube’s rise to dominance isn't an accident and it offers a powerful case study in what it means to win on product—one that is a habit-forming entry point following users seamlessly from the TV screen to their mobile devices, creating a cross-platform flywheel that most traditional media companies haven’t matched.

YouTube offers a powerful case study in what it means to win on product. The question in any media deal shouldn't only be: “What library or channels are we buying?” Instead, it should be: “Does this move us closer to a YouTube-type product experience—in leadership DNA, UX capability, and data sophistication?”

• Product DNA is a scarce asset. YouTube’s leadership has been built around product, ads and engineering. That includes CEO Neal Mohan who previously served as Chief Product Officer of YouTube and earlier ran Google’s display and video ads business. His predecessor Susan Wojcicki came from Google’s advertising and commerce side.
• Ecosystem beats library. The platform combines YouTube TV’s linear channels and professional long-form content with YouTube’s rich creator driven shorts, to establish a cross-screen, single, identity-driven product, deepening both engagement and the underlying data set.
• Data and monetization are the moat. Because of YouTube’s broad span of reach and powerful tech platform, it can stitch viewing behavior into a powerful ad serving and measurement platform that feeds directly into Google’s broader ad business.

Warner Bros. Discovery: Still a Scale Story
Now put the WBD auction process into this context.

On Dec. 5, Netflix announced that it will acquire WBD’s studio and streaming business for $82.7 billion in cash and stock. A few days later, Paramount, led by David Ellison, launched an all-cash $108 billion hostile bid to buy all of WBD.

On paper, the winning bid will likely be the one that makes the strongest case on price, synergies and regulatory approval. That’s the familiar script for media megadeals. What’s striking is how little of this auction is being framed around product. Almost no one is publicly pitching WBD as the raw material for a truly world-class, YouTube-grade experience; they’re pitching it as more content to bolt onto existing bundles and apps.

Through a YouTube lens, the more interesting question is: which owner is most likely to turn WBD into a product people love to use—not just a bigger bundle of content?

Netflix is, by design, a product-first ecosystem: one global app, one UX, one personalization and data stack in more than 190 countries. Dropping HBO and the WBD library into that environment is the clearest path on the table to a YouTube-class experience.

Paramount, by contrast, is leading with scale and IP: combining Paramount and WBD into a mega-studio plus streaming portfolio while also keeping the global networks. There is a more tech-centric, under-discussed angle—the Ellison orbit includes serious cloud and data infrastructure via Oracle and a close relationship with TikTok’s U.S. data hosting, but that only matters if it is used to build a genuinely product-led ecosystem rather than just a bigger bundle.

If the WBD bidding war and the Disney–YouTube TV standoff prove anything, it’s that platform power—controlling the screen, the UX and the data—outweighs content power. That dynamic will shape whatever megamerger comes next.

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK—Paramount has launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery with an all-cash tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. for $30.00 per share in cash or about $108.4 billion.

The bid for all of WBD comes just days after the company agreed to sell the Warner Bros. film and TV studios, HBO and Netflix for an enterprise value of about $82.7 billion, with the remaining WBD assets being spun off into a separate publicly traded company.

The Paramount bid touches off what could be a protracted bidding war for the company.

In announcing the bid, Paramount said its offer for the entirety of WBD provides shareholders $18 billion more in cash than the Netflix offer. The deal has the financial backing of the Ellison family and RedBird Capital, along with $54 billion of debt commitments from Bank of America, Citi and Apollo, according to Paramount.

It also said that its bid would avoid some of the anti-trust and regulatory issues that could face a Netflix deal. On Dec. 7, President Trump also told reporters that the Netflix deal “could be a problem,” raising concerns that he is likely to be involved in the regulatory review.

Paramount also reported that the “combined business will execute on a $6+ billion cost synergy opportunity, in addition to the more than $3 billion in standalone cost efficiencies that Paramount expects to achieve in its current transformation plans,” indicating that the deal could result in substantial layoffs.

David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said: "WBD shareholders deserve an opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company. Our public offer, which is on the same terms we provided to the Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors in private, provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion. We believe the WBD Board of Directors is pursuing an inferior proposal which exposes shareholders to a mix of cash and stock, an uncertain future trading value of the Global Networks linear cable business and a challenging regulatory approval process. We are taking our offer directly to shareholders to give them the opportunity to act in their own best interests and maximize the value of their shares."

Paramount said the all-cash offer at $30.00 per share, equates “to an enterprise value of $108.4 billion, which represents a 139% premium to the undisturbed WBD stock price of $12.54 as of September 10, 2025. In contrast, the Netflix proposal entails a volatile and complex structure valued at $27.75 mix of cash ($23.25) and stock ($4.50), subject to collar and the future performance of Netflix, equating to an enterprise value of $82.7 billion.”

LOS ANGELES—Netflix announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion.

The transaction—which includes the acquisition of WB’s film and TV studios, HBO Max and HBO—is expected to close after the previously announced separation of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Global Networks division, Discovery Global, into a new, publicly traded company, which is now expected to be completed in Q3 2026. Netflix said the acquisition of Warner Bros. is expected to close in “12-18 months.”

'Leveraging Strengths'
The acquisition will bring such classic movies as “The Wizard of Oz,” and the lucrative DC Universe franchise, as well as TV shows such as “The Big Bang Theory,” “The Sopranos“ and “Game of Thrones,” to Netflix’s lineup.

In June, WBD announced plans to split the company into two, saying that the separation "will invigorate each company by enabling them to leverage their strengths and specific financial profiles."

In October, WBD made public its plans to put the division up for sale. “It’s no surprise that the significant value of our portfolio is receiving increased recognition by others in the market,“ WBD CEO David Zaslav said. At that time potential suitors for all or part of the company had included Paramount, Comcast NBCUniversal and some major tech companies such as Amazon and Apple.

Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix hailed the agreement.

“Our mission has always been to entertain the world,” sSarandos said. “By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies—from timeless classics like ‘Casablanca’ and ‘Citizen Kane’ to modern favorites like Harry Potter and Friends—with our culture-defining titles like ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and ‘Squid Game,’ we'll be able to do that even better. Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling.”

“This acquisition will improve our offering and accelerate our business for decades to come,” continued Greg Peters, co-CEO of Netflix. “Warner Bros. has helped define entertainment for more than a century and continues to do so with phenomenal creative executives and production capabilities. With our global reach and proven business model, we can introduce a broader audience to the worlds they create—giving our members more options, attracting more fans to our best-in-class streaming service, strengthening the entire entertainment industry and creating more value for shareholders.”

Added Zaslav: “Today’s announcement combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love to watch the most. “For more than a century, Warner Bros. has thrilled audiences, captured the world’s attention, and shaped our culture. By coming together with Netflix, we will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the world’s most resonant stories for generations to come.”

Netflix said it expects “to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations and build on its strengths, including theatrical releases for films,” and that adding “deep film and TV libraries” to its library,” will allow the streamer to “optimize its plans for consumers, enhancing viewing options and expanding access to content.”

Whether that leads to subscription hikes is yet to be determined.

Netflix says the merger will lead to “a stronger entertainment industry… more opportunities for the creative community… and more value for shareholders," but many in Hollywood are skeptical.

Yesterday, Variety reported that an anonymous collective identifying themselves only as “concerned feature film producers” sent an open letter to members of both parties in Congress, claiming that the acquisition could “destroy” the theatrical film marketplace by altering the amount of time Warner Bros. films would be shown in theaters before streaming on a Netflix-HBO Max streaming platform.

The group claimed that the Netflix-WBD combination would wield too much market influence and “effectively hold a noose around the theatrical marketplace.”

Likewise, former WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar tweeted on X yesterday that the deal could decimate competition. “If I was tasked with doing so, I could not think of a more effective way to reduce competition in Hollywood than selling WBD to Netflix,” he posted.

Transaction Details and Timing
Under the terms of the agreement, each WBD shareholder will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.501 in shares of Netflix common stock for each share of WBD common stock outstanding at the closing of the transaction. The transaction values Warner Bros. Discovery at $27.75 per share, implying a total equity value of approximately $72.0 billion and an enterprise value of about $82.7 billion

The newly separated publicly traded company holding the Global Networks division, Discovery Global, will include the company’s internatiional pay TV properties such as CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., and Discovery, free-to-air channels across Europe, and digital products such as Discovery+ and Bleacher Report.

The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of both Netflix and WBD, the companies said. The deal is subject to the separation of Discovery Global and to required regulatory approvals, the approval of WBD shareholders and other customary closing conditions.

A new tech blog from Netflix highlights the importance of the AV1 open video codec, which now powers about 30% of the platform’s streaming and discusses a variety of opportunities to expand its current use, which is primarily for VOD content.

The blog by Liwei Guo, Zhi Li, Sheldon Radford and Jeff Watts comes at a time when AV2 is on the horizon.

“Looking ahead, we are excited about the forthcoming release of AV2, announced by the Alliance for Open Media for the end of 2025,” they posted. “AV2 is poised to set a new benchmark for compression efficiency and streaming capabilities, building on the solid foundation laid by AV1. At Netflix, we remain committed to adopting the best open technologies to delight our members around the globe. While AV2 represents the future of streaming, AV1 is very much the present—serving as the backbone of our platform and powering exceptional entertainment experiences across a vast and ever-expanding ecosystem of devices.”

The blog revisits Netflix’s AV1 journey to date, highlights emerging use cases, and shares adoption trends across the device ecosystem. It noted that since entering the streaming business in 2007, Netflix has primarily relied on H.264/AVC as its streaming format.

“However, we quickly recognized that a modern, open codec would benefit not only Netflix, but the entire multimedia industry,” they wrote. “In 2015, together with a group of like-minded industry leaders, Netflix co-founded the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) to develop and promote next-generation, open-source media technologies. The AV1 codec became the first major project of this collaboration, with ambitious goals: to deliver significant improvements in compression efficiency over state-of-the-art codecs, and to introduce rich features that enable new use cases. After three years of collaborative development, AV1 was officially released in 2018.”

The blog noted: “AV1’s superior compression efficiency was especially valuable for mobile users, many of whom are mindful of their data usage and network conditions. By adopting AV1, we were able to deliver noticeably better video quality at lower bitrates....Launching AV1 support on Android in 2020 marked a significant step forward for Netflix on mobile, making high-quality streaming more accessible and enjoyable for members everywhere.”

Based on that successful launch, the streamer then expanded AV1 support to smart TVs and large-screen devices. “This collaborative effort enabled our AV1 streaming to TV devices in late 2021. Shortly thereafter, we expanded AV1 streaming to web browsers (in 2022) and continued to broaden device support,” the post explained. “In 2023, this included Apple devices with the introduction of AV1 hardware support in the new M3 and A17 Pro chips.”

Today, AV1 is the streamer’s second-most-used codec and on track to become No. 1 very soon.

In part, this represents its “superior” compression technology for delivering 4K and high-frame-rate experience. “On average, AV1 streaming sessions achieve VMAF scores that are 4.3 points higher than AVC and 0.9 points higher than HEVC sessions,” the blog said. “At the same time, AV1 sessions use one-third less bandwidth than both AVC and HEVC, resulting in 45% fewer buffering interruptions.”

The blog also explained that the codec has been important in their efforts to provide more immersive experience with HDR and other features.

“In March 2025, we launched AV1 HDR streaming,” the post explained. “We chose HDR10+ as the HDR format for its use of dynamic metadata, which enabled us to adapt the tone mapping per device in a scene-dependent manner. As anticipated, the combination of AV1 and HDR10+ allows us to deliver images with greater detail, more vibrant colors and an overall heightened sense of immersion for our members. At the moment, 85% of our HDR catalog (from the perspective of view-hours) has AV1-HDR10+ coverage, and this number is expected to reach 100% in the next couple of months.”

The codec has also allowed Netflix to incorporate film grain, which has been difficult to faithfully render in digital video.

“The AV1 specification incorporates a unique solution called Film Grain Synthesis (FGS),” they explained. “Instead of encoding grain as part of every frame, the grain is stripped out before encoding and then resynthesized at the decoder using parameters sent in the bitstream, delivering a realistic cinematic film grain experience without the usual data costs. … In July 2025, we successfully productized AV1 FGS, and the results were astonishing: AV1 with FGS could deliver videos with cinematic film grain at a bit rate well within the capabilities of typical household internet connections. For non-FGS AV1 encodings, even at much higher bit rate, they may not be able to achieve comparable quality.”

Looking forward, the post noted Netflix has primarily used AV1 for VOD, but the platform sees “significant opportunities for AV1 beyond traditional VOD streaming,” including the use of "AV1 in live streaming, as we believe it could help further scale Netflix’s live programming.”

One use might be for events where Netflix is delivering content, such as live sports, to tens of millions of viewers simultaneously.

Another might be “customizable graphics overlay: for live sport events such as football, tennis and boxing, graphics overlays have become an integral part of the member experience—from embedding game statistics to delivering sponsorships. AV1 offers an opportunity to make the graphics highly customizable: layered coding is supported in AV1’s main profile, allowing encoding the main content in the base layer, and graphics in the enhancement layer, and easily swapping out one version of the enhancement layer with another.”

The full post is available here.

LONDON—A new Ampere Analysis study finds that familiar franchises are successfully driving kids’ TV consumption on Netflix and that the streamer's big bet on "Sesame Street" will fill an important gap in its programming as the popular “CoComelon” is set to depart Netflix in 2027.

“Franchises play an important role in the Children and Family genre because brand recognition not only helps build awareness for upcoming titles, but it also creates a sense of trust in the quality of the content—crucial for parents,“ Ampere Senior Analyst Christen Tamisin explained. “Netflix recognizes this and draws upon both established IPs and franchises while introducing new popular content from YouTube. The iconic franchise ‘Sesame Street’ will be a welcome addition to the Netflix catalog, providing quality programming for a key demographic with a high likelihood of engagement. The battle for kids’ attention is definitely on.”

As background, the researchers noted that with a steady flow of content, “Sesame Street’ has long been a mainstay of children’s entertainment. Despite its global success, however, its future looked uncertain when Warner Bros. Discovery chose not to renew its deal the Sesame Workshop.

Netflix stepped in to give "Sesame Street" a new global home, and according to the new research from Ampere, the partnership is likely to strengthen its popularity with kids and families.

Netflix launched a new season of Sesame Street on Nov. 10, and also offers more than 90 hours of back episodes.

More specifically, Ampere reported that:

• Familiarity delivers audiences: In children’s entertainment, franchises, established content, and popular IP consistently capture audience attention. Between H1 2021 and H1 2025, major US commissioners1 released over 400 TV seasons of kids’ shows derived from franchises, amounting to 47% of their scripted children and family TV commissions, more than any other genre. “Sesame Street” topped the list of kids franchises with 16 brand new seasons—four from the original show and 12 spinoffs. “Sesame Street” on Netflix will drive this further.
• Shows built on established IP perform well in the kids space: Titles built on familiar IP appear consistently in the U.S. Netflix daily Top 10 Kids’ Shows chart with high view counts, underlining how brand recognition and discoverability sustain audience engagement and loyalty. As a well-loved and highly recognizable brand, “Sesame Street” is likely to be a strong performer from this perspective.
• From YouTube to Netflix: To compete with long-established studios and TV networks, Netflix has previously relied on new media as a source of hit kids content. Some of the most viewed kids shows on Netflix (based on total-season views) in H1 2025 first launched on YouTube: “Cocomelon” (83.1 million views), “Ms. Rachel” (53.4 million views), and “Bebefinn” (29.9 million views). However, by acquiring such a longstanding TV brand in “Sesame Street,” Netflix is further establishing itself as a trusted mainstay of the TV market, akin to the networks it competes with, especially in the view of parents with young children.
• Retention opportunity: Although “Cocomelon” viewership has eased over time, it still ranks among Netflix’s top 10 shows across all genres. With "CoComelon" leaving for Disney+ in 2027, “Sesame Street” could help Netflix fill a key gap and sustain engagement in the preschool segment.

CAMBRIDGE, England—Faced with rising inflation and worries that the economy is weakening, consumers are prioritizing their spending on popular streaming services, with a third of U.S. streamers (34%) reporting that they have cut back on other household expenses specifically to keep paying for their streaming subscriptions.

The newly released “Streaming Squeeze” research report from Bango, a subscriptions bundling marketplace, examines how streaming fans are coping with rising costs. Bango also found that inflation continues to squeeze household budgets. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Americans with streaming subscriptions reported they can’t afford all the services they want, Bango said, with more than half (55%) admitting their streaming bills are higher than they’d like.

“Subscribers refuse to give up on streaming — they just keep spending,” Bango CEO Paul Larbey said. “But they’re rebalancing that spend to protect the streamers they love the most. They'll cut back elsewhere, tolerate ads if the deal’s right, and move up or down tiers when new options land. But a key point is that for most people, Netflix is a non-negotiable,” i.e., a service they won’t cancel.

As a result, many now rotate, move up and down ad tiers or bundle subscriptions, doing whatever it takes to stay subscribed and keep their favorite streaming services, the researcher reported.

Though many consumers are moving to ad-supported tiers to help reduce costs, they have mixed feelings about the trade-off between saving money and getting bombarded by ads during their limited leisure time.

The majority of consumers (69%) say paid subscription services should never show ads, yet 60% say they would accept even more ads on their streaming in exchange for a bigger discount.

Despite this ambivalence, ad tiering is helping to expand the market in both directions: When cheaper ad-supported plans launch, 42% downgrade to them and 39% upgrade to avoid them, the study found.

Younger subscribers are even more likely to use tiers as a “safety valve”, the researchers reported. For example, half of Gen Z consumers (47%) report starting a subscription when an ad-supported option became available, compared with only one-quarter of baby boomers.

The study also found that even as budgets tighten, consumers keep spending on at least one “Forever Subscription” they say they’ll never cancel. Netflix dominates that leaderboard (60%) in that category, followed by Prime Video (31%) and Hulu (24%).

Looking at different age brackets, Netflix also secures cross-generational appeal, which highlights its universal lure. In contrast, Prime skews older, with 45% of boomers considering it as a “forever subscription”—more than any other generation. At the other end of the scale, Disney+ resonates with younger audiences (28% of Gen Z treat it as a forever subscription), Bango reported.

The study also highlighted the growing importance of bundles. More than two-thirds of subscribers (68%) have taken an indirect subscription—buying via a bundle or third-party channel. These bundled buyers report meaningful monthly savings, and typically hold more subscriptions overall—because when costs come down and administration gets simpler, subscribers keep more of what they love.

Among streaming subscribers who report savings, the average monthly savings is $16.32, with roughly half saying they save $15 to $24 or more each month. Given these benefits, 22% of streaming subscribers have switched to a bundle deal in the past six months—where services are offered indirectly through a telecom or TV provider, included as a perk with other services, or bundled together via a platform like Prime Video. This momentum is even stronger among younger adults, with a third (32%) of Gen Z signing up for bundles in the same time period.

To find out more about today’s streaming and subscription habits, download Bango’s full Streaming Squeeze report here.

For more information, visit www.bango.com

Netflix said it will make a major push into video podcasts, inking a wide-ranging deal with Spotify through which it will offer 16 podcasts in the U.S. starting early next year.

The Netflix agreement is part of music and podcast platform Spotify's push to expand beyond audio and become a major video streaming player.

In a separate deal with Samsung this week, Spotify entered the FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) space for the first time, teaming up with Samsung TV Plus to launch an exclusive new channel, The Ringer from Spotify. (More on that below.)

Sports, culture, lifestyle and true-crime video podcasts from Spotify Studios and The Ringer will now stream on Netflix. They include video for “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” as well as The Ringer’s NFL, NBA, fantasy football and F1 shows.

Also included in the Netflix deal are pop culture series like “The Rewatchables” and “Dissect,” as well as true crime pods such as “Conspiracy Theories.”

After launching the podcasts first in the U.S., Netflix plans to make them available to additional markets next year.

“At Netflix, we’re always looking for new ways to entertain our members, wherever and however they want to watch,” Lauren Smith, Netflix vice president of content licensing and programming strategy, said. “As video podcasts continue to grow in popularity, our partnership with Spotify allows us to bring full video versions of these top shows to both Netflix and Spotify audiences. From pop culture and lifestyle to true crime and sports, this curated selection of video podcasts adds fresh voices and new perspectives to Netflix, making our entertainment lineup more exciting than ever.”

The full list of podcasts is available here.

“This partnership marks a new chapter for podcasting,” said Roman Wasenmüller, vice president, head of podcasts at Spotify. “Together with Netflix, we’re expanding discovery, helping creators reach new audiences and giving fans around the world the chance to experience the stories they love and uncover favorites they never expected. This offers more choice to creators and unlocks a completely new distribution opportunity.”

In terms of the Samsung Spotify deal, the new FAST channel, Spotify's first such offering, launched Oct. 15 on Samsung TV Plus.

“Samsung TV Plus is where storytelling meets scale—and with this first-of-its-kind partnership, the biggest screen in the home becomes a stage for podcasting’s boldest video programming to come to life,” said Salek Brodsky, senior vice president and global head of Samsung TV Plus. “The Ringer brings an arsenal of talent and some of the most dynamic, culture-shaping voices to Samsung TV Plus, where we continue to redefine what television can be, opening up an entirely new dimension of entertainment for audiences to explore.”

The Ringer Channel from Spotify is available on Samsung TV Plus. Samsung TV Plus is available on Samsung TV, Galaxy, Smart Monitor, and Family Hub devices. This includes the 2025 TV series, spanning Samsung Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K, OLED, The Frame and The Frame Pro, which are powered by Samsung Vision AI

“Samsung TV Plus is where storytelling meets scale—and with this first-of-its-kind partnership, the biggest screen in the home becomes a stage for podcasting’s boldest video programming to come to life,” said Salek Brodsky, senior vice president and global head of Samsung TV Plus. “The Ringer brings an arsenal of talent and some of the most dynamic, culture-shaping voices to Samsung TV Plus, where we continue to redefine what television can be, opening up an entirely new dimension of entertainment for audiences to explore.”

The Ringer Channel from Spotify is available on Samsung TV Plus. Samsung TV Plus is available on Samsung TV, Galaxy, Smart Monitor, and Family Hub devices. This includes the 2025 TV series, spanning Samsung Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K, OLED, The Frame and The Frame Pro, which are powered by Samsung Vision AI

“Samsung TV Plus is where storytelling meets scale—and with this first-of-its-kind partnership, the biggest screen in the home becomes a stage for podcasting’s boldest video programming to come to life,” said Salek Brodsky, senior vice president and global head of Samsung TV Plus. “The Ringer brings an arsenal of talent and some of the most dynamic, culture-shaping voices to Samsung TV Plus, where we continue to redefine what television can be, opening up an entirely new dimension of entertainment for audiences to explore.”

The Ringer Channel from Spotify is available on Samsung TV Plus. Samsung TV Plus is available on Samsung TV, Galaxy, Smart Monitor, and Family Hub devices. This includes the 2025 TV series, spanning Samsung Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K, OLED, The Frame and The Frame Pro, which are powered by Samsung Vision AI

Netflix has announced that it is merging its Scanline VFX and Eyeline Studios creative companies into one brand called Eyeline.

Netflix acquired Scanline in 2021. In a blog post, Eyeline CEO Jeffrey Shapiro explained: “Three years after joining Netflix, we’re excited to take the next step and bring these two world-class innovators together for the first time under one brand: Eyeline. By combining Scanline’s award-winning visual effects with Eyeline’s cutting-edge production capabilities and innovative lab tools, we’re uniting two industry-leading teams under a single vision: to push the boundaries of what’s possible in production.

“Eyeline combines nearly four decades of visual effects artistry with cutting-edge virtual production, AI-enabled tools, and advanced research,” he added. “Merging Scanline VFX and Eyeline Studios under one brand enables us to pioneer new tools, facilitate creative collaboration, and drive the future of filmmaking for the most ambitious storytellers around the world.”

Both Scanline and Eyeline Studios, which operated as Netflix’s virtual production and research lab prior to the merger, have worked on a host of Netflix productions.

Shapiro noted that Scanline, which was founded 36 years ago, earned a Scientific and Technical Academy Award for its proprietary fluid simulation software, Flowline, and contributed groundbreaking work to global hits such as “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” and Netflix’s latest film, “The Woman in Cabin 10.” Last month, Scanline won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or Movie for “Andor: Season 2” on Disney+.

Eyeline Studios, founded in 2019, pioneered the use of virtual production and volumetric capture, earning the Visual Effects Society’s inaugural Groundbreaking Technology Award for its stage technology, most recently showcased in the creation of Professor Orloff in “Wednesday: Season 2,” Shapiro said.

Eyeline’s Light Dome—the first-of-its-kind virtual production stage to replicate any real-world lighting condition with exacting realism—was recently used on “Happy Gilmore 2” and the upcoming “A House of Dynamite.” Eyeline Studios has also led the field in applying generative AI to production, most notably in Netflix’s Argentine sci-fi series “The Eternaut,” Shapiro said.

Netflix is expanding its video game offerings from mobile into TV by launching party games that its subscribers can play on smart TVs.

While Netflix has been offering games for a while, those games were only available on mobile.

In the initial launch of TV games, Netflix is focusing on the social features of television with party games.

Users still can't play any of the existing mobile games, which include "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas", "Oxenfree", and "Heads Up!" on TV.

Users can scroll to the ‘Games’ tab on their TV, pick a game and use their phone as the controller for games like "LEGO Party!", "Pictionary: Game Night", "Boggle Party", "Tetris Time Warp", and a fresh take on the social deduction genre "Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends".

The feature is currently available in the U.S. on select TVs.

In a blog post, Netflix said that it plans to add more games and markets in the future.

BRISTOL, U.K.—The popularity of U.S. content from three major streaming services with foreign viewers has declined over the past five years, while those same viewers have increased their time spent watching non-U.S. produced content, according to new research from global streaming media measurement company Digital i.

The research reveals the share of viewing time devoted to U.S. content in other countries has decreased 7% on Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video over the past five years.

Between Q1 2020 and Q2 2025, the percentage of combined viewing time spent watching U.S.-made content on these three streaming platforms, as viewed in 19 non-U.S. countries, dropped from 52% to 45%, Digital i said.

Digital i measured the share of viewing time devoted to U.S. and non-U.S. content by streaming audiences in Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Australia, South Korea and Japan.

Overall share of viewing time devoted to content produced outside of the U.S. in these countries rose in correlation from 37% in Q1 2020 to an equal 45% in Q2 2025 as audiences have begun to spend more of their viewing time watching non-U.S. programming on these streaming services.

The remainder of viewing time was devoted to co-productions between the U.S. and other countries, with this figure remaining relatively consistent over the period.

Within the United States, the share of viewing time spent watching locally produced content has remained comparatively steady in recent years.

In Q2 2025, U.S. viewers spent 62% of their viewing time watching U.S.-made content and 25% watching non-U.S. content on these services. The remaining 13% was spent viewing co-productions between the U.S. and other countries.

More information is available on the Digital i website.

AB InBev and Netflix have announced a multiyear global marketing partnership that the two companies are calling “unprecedented” in terms of its global reach and scale of sponsorship activations across AB InBev’s global portfolio of brands.

The two companies did not disclose financial terms or the amount of advertising AB InBev would commit to the streamer. In recent years, the brewer, which owns such brands as Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois, has spent over $7 billion a year marketing its products.

The deal highlights how Netflix is using its global reach to attract ad dollars and the difficulties faced by broadcasters operating on a national or regional level when trying to compete with the streamer.

In the new deal AB InBev will be able to craft global campaigns in the markets where Netflix offers advertising and at the same time customize those campaigns for specific brands and countries. It will also involve customized experiences and promotions around specific Netflix shows and events.

“Streaming is a social and shared experience — it’s an occasion where beer and entertainment come together,” said Marcel Marcondes, global chief marketing officer of AB InBev. “This partnership is an opportunity for our brands to create deeper experiences with consumers and more moments of cheers while they watch the content that shapes culture.”

As part of the deal, the two companies said that AB InBev will collaborate with Netflix on co-marketing campaigns that will come to life across a variety of Netflix’s popular global and regional titles like “The Gentlemen from the UK”, “Brasil 70 - A Saga do Tri from Brazil”, and “Culinary Class Wars” from South Korea, among others. The partnership will include consumer activations, title integrations, limited-edition packaging, digital promotions, and more.

Netflix and AB InBev also reported that they will also partner on co-branded campaigns around Netflix live events. In Mexico, Cerveza Victoria was recently a presenting sponsor for the Canelo vs. Crawford matchup. AB InBev will also advertise during Netflix’s live NFL Christmas Gameday 2025. The companies will also collaborate on some of the world’s biggest events, like the 2027 Women’s World Cup on Netflix.

“We’re always looking for creative ways to build our brand and connect with fans, to keep fueling the fandom that comes from our great shows, thrilling movies, and can’t-miss live events,” said Marian Lee, CMO at Netflix. “The popularity of our titles allows us to pierce the cultural zeitgeist in ways few others can, and a great partnership can make that even better. We are super excited about creating attention-grabbing campaigns with AB InBev that are just as unique, fun, and creative as the shows and movies they support.”

AMSTERDAM—The director and sound supervisor for the music documentary ”Becoming Led Zeppelin,” will attend a special screening and Q&A, Saturday Sept. 13 at the 2025 IBC Conference in Amsterdam.

The film, available on Netflix, holds the record for the highest-grossing opening weekend across IMAX theaters worldwide and is the most watched documentary of 2025 across all platforms. The film was distributed across Europe earlier this year by Sony Pictures Classics in partnership with Piece of Magic Entertainment.

“How Becoming Led Zeppelin was Created,” will be held at 11.30 am CEST in the Auditorium Complex of the RAI Amsterdam. Director Bernard MacMahon and Sound Supervisor Nicholas Bergh will fly in from Los Angeles for an in depth talk for the first time on the mechanics of creating the hit film and will reveal how a vast archive of 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, 2-inch video, tape, disc and stills were transferred and sculpted into a cohesive whole for the record-breaking IMAX release.

Later that day at 7 pm CEST, the IBC special event screening of “Becoming Led Zeppelin” and exclusive Q&A with MacMahon and Bergh will take place at the newly completed Cinema The Pulse, scheduled to officially open in October 2025.

MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey reveals the origins of the iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds. It is the first documentary film Led Zeppelin have ever agreed to appear in.

Becoming Led Zeppelin has received universal acclaim with Variety hailing it as “one of the modern era’s great rock docs”, The Guardian describing it as “an extraordinary slice of rock history in documentary form”, Tom Morello praising the film as “amazing”, Thurston Moore championing it as “a brilliant film” and The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson labelling as “the greatest music documentary I’ve ever seen.”

MacMahon commented: “Bringing Becoming Led Zeppelin to Amsterdam for a special screening with the IBC is a real honor. Led Zeppelin only played Amsterdam twice during their career, once right in the middle of the period we cover in the film, so being able to give the Dutch audience a chance to see them again in their prime is extremely exciting.”

Jo Mayer, IBC’s Head of Marketing, added: “IBC is the perfect home for a screening of this phenomenal documentary. So many of the media and entertainment technology companies present at the conference had a hand in making this film and it will be a thrill to see it on the screen. We are excited to bring this film and the Q&A and the morning panel session with Bernard and Nick to our conference attendees.”

Cinema The Pulse concluded: “We are incredibly happy that we can showcase Becoming Led Zeppelin in our cinema on the big screen, an experience no film or music lover should miss!”

Tickets for the special screening and Q&A can be purchased via Cinema The Pulse here.

To register for the IBC2025 Conference, click here.

As the use of generative AI becomes more common in media operations and production, Netflix has laid out detailed guidelines for their use and provided guidance on the kinds of approvals that may be needed for their use in its content.

The guidelines are notable not only because of their potential impact on the way producers and others who work with Netflix operate and produce content. Netflix also noted that these guidelines apply to "partner vendors" indicating that the principles might also apply to subcontractors in post production and to AI-based technologies provided by outside vendors.

“Generative AI tools (GenAI) that allow users to rapidly generate new and creatively unique media (video, sound, text, and image) are increasingly being used across creative workflows in Content Production,” Netflix noted. “At Netflix, we see these tools as valuable creative aids when used transparently and responsibly. This guidance helps filmmakers, production partners, and vendors understand when and how to use GenAI tools in production. It also offers a practical tool for assessing and enabling confident GenAI use when producing content for Netflix.”

The post also stressed that while generative AI has many positive benefits, “we expect all production partners to share any intended use of GenAI with their Netflix contact, especially as new tools continue to emerge with different capabilities and risks. Most low-risk use cases that follow the guiding principles below are unlikely to require legal review. However, if the output includes final deliverables, talent likeness, personal data, or third-party IP, written approval will be required before you proceed.”

More specifically, Netflix asked partners to consider the following guiding principles before leveraging GenAI in any creative workflow:

• "The outputs do not replicate or substantially recreate identifiable characteristics of unowned or copyrighted material, or infringe any copyright-protected works
• "The generative tools used do not store, reuse, or train on production data inputs or outputs.
• "Where possible, generative tools are used in an enterprise-secured environment to safeguard inputs.
• "Generated material is temporary and not part of the final deliverables.
• "GenAI is not used to replace or generate new talent performances or union-covered work without consent."

Netflix noted that "if you can confidently say `yes' to all the above, socializing the intended use with your Netflix contact may be sufficient. If you answer `no' or `unsure' to any of these principles, escalate to your Netflix contact for more guidance before proceeding, as written approval may be required. "

The streamer also stressed that "if your partner vendor is using a custom GenAI workflow—meaning a pipeline built from multiple tools or models—the same principles apply."

Netflix also provided a few examples of situations that, in addition to reporting intended use, always require escalation and written approval before proceeding.

Netflix described how one of those situations, data use, should be handled as follows:

• "Protecting personal data and creative rights is essential when working with GenAI. These tools often require input data to generate outputs, and how that data is handled matters. Before using any GenAI tool, especially third-party or off-the-shelf options, consider whether you are using material that requires special handling, clearance, or consent.
• "Use of Proprietary or Personal Information: Do not input Netflix-owned materials (e.g., unreleased assets, scripts, production images) or personal data (e.g., cast or crew details) into tools unless explicitly approved.
• "Third-Party or Unowned Talent Assets: Do not train or fine-tune models using material from artists, performers, or other rights holders unless you have the proper legal clearance. Example: Training an image model in the style of another artist using a library of their past work, where Netflix or the talent has not cleared rights..

A second sitution is creative output. Netflix described how that should be handled as follows:

• AI-generated content must be used with care, especially when it forms a visible or story-critical part of the production. Whether you're designing a world, a character, or artwork that appears in a scene, the same creative and legal standards apply as with traditionally produced assets.
• Generation of Key Creative Elements: GenAI should not be used to generate main characters, key visual elements, or fictional settings that are central to the story without written approval.
• Examples: GenAI is used to generate a second killer doll to play the red light/green light game with Young-hee in Squid Game.
• Copyrighted or Estate-Controlled: Avoid using inputs (e.g., prompts, images) that reference copyrighted materials or likenesses of public figures or deceased individuals without appropriate permissions.
• Example: “Create an image inspired by McCurry’s Afghan Girl” or referencing distinctive features of a known performer (e.g., “Create a character with Meryl Streep’s nose”).

Another important use case is involves talent and performance. Netflix described those issues as follows:

• "Respect for performers and their work is foundational to the responsible use of GenAI. Whether enhancing a recorded performance or generating a digital likeness, the threshold for consent and care is exceptionally high when the intent or character of a performance may be altered.
• "Synthetic or Digital Replicas - Do not create digital performers, voices, or likenesses of real talent without explicit and documented consent and complying with guild requirements (where applicable).
• "Significant Digital Alterations to Performances - Be cautious when making changes that affect a performance's emotional tone, delivery, or intent, as even subtle edits may have legal or reputational implications.
• "Examples include visual ADR (altering lip-sync or facial performance to match new, unscripted dialogue).

A fourth important issue is ethnics and representation. Netflix described its policies on that issue as follows:

• "Audiences should be able to trust what they see and hear on screen. GenAI (if used without care) can blur the line between fiction and reality or unintentionally mislead viewers. That’s why we ask you to consider both the intent and the impact of your AI-generated content.
• "Misleading or Misrepresentative Content: Avoid creating content that could be mistaken for real events, people, or statements if they never actually occurred (e.g., fabricated footage, dialogue, or scenes presented as authentic). Example: using GenAI to create a fake news segment featuring a real journalist delivering a fabricated statement, even if intended as background.
• "Impact on Union Roles: Ensure that your use of GenAI does not replace or materially impact work typically done by union-represented individuals, including actors, writers, or crew members, without proper approvals or agreements.

The full article with additional guidance can be found here.

LOS GATOS, Calif. —Netflix once again reported strong financial growth, with revenue increasing 16% year-over-year to $11.079 billion in Q2 2025 as net income spiked by 46% to $3.125 billion at the end of the quarter YoY.

Netflix is no longer reporting sub numbers on a quarterly basis but its letter to shareholders noted that YoY “revenue growth was primarily a function of more members, higher subscription pricing and increased ad revenue.”

Based on those numbers, the company noted that for “2025, we are increasing our revenue forecast to $44.8B-$45.2B from $43.5B-$44.5B, previously. This represents 15%-16% year-over-year growth, or 16%-17% growth on a F/X [foreign exchange] neutral basis. The majority of the increase in our revenue forecast reflects the recent depreciation of the US dollar vs. most other currencies, with the balance attributable to continued business momentum driven by solid member growth and ad sales…As a result, we are now targeting a 29.5% operating margin for 2025, based on F/X rates at the beginning of the year, up from our prior 29% forecast. At current F/X rates, this would equate to roughly a 30% operating margin for 2025 on a reported basis.”

In terms of advertising, the company reported that “we continue to make progress building our ads business and still expect to roughly double ads revenue in 2025” as it continues to strengthen its tech infrastructure for ad sales.

“We completed the rollout of the Netflix Ads Suite, our in-house first-party ad tech platform, to all of our ads markets and early results are in-line with our expectations,” the shareholder letter noted. “We believe our ad tech platform is foundational to our long-term ads strategy and, over time, will enable us to offer better measurement, enhanced targeting, innovative ad formats and expanded programmatic capabilities. We also recently announced we will integrate Yahoo DSP into our programmatic offering.”

Despite enabling its subscribers to watch films and TV shows in the highest possible resolution, Netflix has revealed it is taking things old school with the introduction of a film grain effect.

In a post on its technology blog, the streamer has revealed the introduction of AV1 Film Grain Synthesis (FGS) streams.

FGS has been part of the AV1 standard since its inception, but was only available on a limited number of titles during Netflix’s initial launch of the AV1 codec in 2021.

According to the company, the introduction of the AV1 Film Grain Synthesis has led to significant bitrate reduction, allowing it to deliver high-quality video with less data while preserving the artistic integrity of film grain.

The grain is analyzed for its unique pattern and intensity in different parts of the video, with the information sent alongside a cleaner, grain-free stream.

The grain is then synthesized to match the original as it appears on the viewer’s screen.

Netflix carried out A/B testing prior to rollout to understand the overall streaming impact of enabling AV1 Film Grain Synthesis. It showcased a smoother and more reliable Quality of Experience (QoE), including lower and average bitrate, decreased playback errors, 10% fewer rebuffers, 10% fewer noticeable bitrate drops and a 10% reduction in the time users spend adjusting their playback position during video playback, likely influenced by reduced bitrate and rebuffering, said the streamer.

Netflix added that about 0.7% of viewing hours shifted from lower resolutions (≤ 1080p) to 2160p on 4K-capable devices. This shift is attributed to reduced bitrates at switching points, which make it easier to achieve the highest resolution during a session, it added.

The full blog post is available here.

This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand TVBEurope.

NASA announced today that live programming from its NASA+ channel will be available on Netflix starting sometime this summer.

Audiences now will have another option to stream rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, mission coverage, and breathtaking live views of Earth from the International Space Station.

“The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 calls on us to share our story of space exploration with the broadest possible audience,” said Rebecca Sirmons, general manager of NASA+ at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “Together, we’re committed to a Golden Age of Innovation and Exploration—inspiring new generations—right from the comfort of their couch or in the palm of their hand from their phone.”

Through this partnership, NASA’s work in science and exploration will become even more accessible, allowing the agency to increase engagement with and inspire a global audience in a modern media landscape, where Netflix reaches a global audience of more than 700 million people.

The agency’s broader efforts include connecting with as many people as possible through video, audio, social media, and live events. The goal is simple: to bring the excitement of the agency’s discoveries, inventions, and space exploration to people, wherever they are.

NASA+ remains available for free, with no ads, through the NASA app and on the agency’s website.

It is not yet known whether NASA+ will be limited only to Netflix U.S. subscribers or to which subscription tiers. Additional programming details and schedules will be announced ahead of launch.

Netflix signaled its willingness this week to make a notable expansion of its live streaming efforts with a surprise deal to stream the large French commercial broadcaster TF1 in France.

While Netflix has been expanding its offerings of live sports and events, the deal for to offer a live feed of TF1 marks the first time Netflix has committed to a 24/7 live feed, LightShed Partners analysts’ Richard Greenfield, Brandon Ross and Mark Kelley explained in a note to investors.

“Consider TF1 a French experiment,” they wrote. “We’ll learn for the first time if a meaningful number of consumers want to watch live TV beyond sports and news on streaming.”

TF1 won’t launch until the summer of 2026, they stress, adding that investors should not “expect TF1 to be a template for other markets anytime soon. If it does work for Netflix, it would likely be replicated in international markets” but not the U.S.

“France (and other European countries) is also quite different than the U.S. broadcast TV market, as there are no affiliate TV stations,” they said. “TF1 is a singular TV station that operates throughout France. Netflix’s TF1 deal cannot be replicated in the U.S., where Netflix would need agreements with all of a broadcast network’s local station groups to incorporate local programming such as news and sports. That would be torture and hard to imagine ever happening.”

That said, they think the launch could be a win for both parties. “TF1’s scale in France is akin to aggregating ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC together [and] TF1 dwarfs everyone else on linear TV in France,” they argue. “Given that TF1 and TF1+ are free to all consumers in France, and the fact that Netflix will help meaningfully drive viewership of TF1 linear and on-demand programming in France, boosting ad sales, we suspect the cost of the deal is quite reasonable. There is also a meaningful brand benefit to TF1 being associated with Netflix that likely helps them acquire content in the future. … Since France is one of Netflix’s 12 ad tier markets, they likely want to use TF1 to further accelerate overall ad sales.”

Netflix has announced that it is expanding its global programmatic ad offerings by partnering with Yahoo DSP. This will enable brands to buy Netflix advertising through Yahoo programmatically.

The offering is expected to be available later this year in all 12 of Netflix’s ad-supported countries.

"This is another milestone for the ads business, giving our global clients even more optionality in their buying,” Netflix President, Advertising Amy Reinhard said in a blog post. “Our focus has always been to offer the best advertising experience to our clients and members, and we’re excited to continue to give advertisers the ability to reach the most engaged and attentive ad-supported viewers. Yahoo DSP will join The Trade Desk, Google Display and Video 360, and Microsoft as Netflix’s programmatic partners. Most recently, we enhanced our offering to include expanded targeting, allowing advertisers to target more than 100 interests in over 17 categories, including life stages. We also now allow clients to incorporate their first-party data to match against our Netflix ads audience for behavioral insights and targeting.”

Josh Palau, vice president of performance media at Pfizer, responded to the news in a statement, saying: “Love seeing two of my favorite brands making our industry even better. This is a great opportunity to combine Netflix’s scale and quality content with Yahoo’s data-driven targeting and measurement and aligns perfectly with our approach of working with direct, transparent supply path optimization and premium streaming partners like Netflix.”

“We’re excited to bring Netflix’s premium ad-supported inventory to Yahoo DSP clients, offering access to highly engaged audiences in a trusted, brand-safe environment,” added Alia Lamborghini, senior vice president of global revenue at Yahoo DSP. “This integration makes it easy for advertisers to incorporate Netflix into their broader CTV strategies without added complexity. By expanding our premium supply and enabling unified planning, activation, and measurement, we’re helping marketers drive stronger performance and greater impact.”

NEW YORK—New research from Nielsen’s Gracenote highlights the growing importance of sports related programming on the major SVOD services, with total sports programming growing by 7.8% in Q2 2025 compared to the previous quarter among Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+, five of the top global subscription video on-demand (SVOD) services.

Three of those services, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Netflix were the leading sports players in Gracenote's analysis, serving as home to 92% of available streaming sports programming. Gracenote defines that category as including live games, sports-related news, highlight shows and documentaries.

Warner Bros. Discovery's Max, which has a large offering of live sports, was not included in the data Gracenote made public to the media.

Overall, the total number of unique TV, movie and sports titles offered by these services increased approximately by 4,500, or 5%, from February to May according to a new Gracenote Data Hub release, which tracks quarterly content trends.

Netflix significantly outpaced all tracked services in total catalog growth during Q2, increasing available content by 18.2%. The next biggest relative gains were posted by Apple TV+ (3.7%), Amazon Prime Video (3.2%), Disney+ (1.6%) and Paramount+ (1%). Currently, Netflix offers 20.1% of the TV shows, movies and sports programs available on major streaming services, up from 17.9% in the previous quarter.

At the program level, the five top SVOD services grew sports content by 7.8% in Q2. This was almost 2 times the rate of movie expansion and nearly one percentage point more than the rate of TV expansion.

In terms of other content types, TV programs were up 6.9% across all tracked services while movies were up 4%.

"In the big picture for SVOD, overall content volume continues to rise but the CTV apps making this content available continually shift," said Bill Michels, chief product officer at Gracenote. "Regardless of program type or any other attribute, effective content discovery helps streamers connect viewers to the entertainment they'll enjoy most and get the most value out of each of the assets in their catalogs."

The Gracenote Data Hub provides interactive visualizations of SVOD content volume, program genre and mood trends as well as exclusivity and country of origin insights. Tapping industry-leading Gracenote Global Video Data covering content in 35 languages and more than 80 countries, the Data Hub helps video services, content owners and advertisers develop smart content distribution, licensing and media buying strategies.

More information is available at Gracenote.com.

Netflix and PBS have announced new deals with Sesame Workshop that will see new episodes of “Sesame Street” stream on Netflix and air on PBS Kids.

The deals came amid concerns over the future of “Sesame Street” following cutbacks to public media funding and the end of an output deal with Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service that had been airing new episodes along with PBS.

Unlike the Max deal, the new agreements call for new episodes to air on PBS stations the same day they start streaming on Netflix.

In announcing the deal, Netflix said the program “is coming to Netflix later this year, with ‘Sesame Street’s’ all-new, reimagined 56th season — plus 90 hours of previous episodes from previous seasons — available to audiences worldwide.”

The streamer also promised notable changes to the show. “The new season will feature fresh format changes and the return of fan-favorite segments like Elmo’s World and Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck,” Netflix said. “Expect new ways to play along as Cookie Monster opens his very own Cookie Cart on Sesame Street, and explore Abby’s Fairy Garden, a home to surprising and delightful magical creatures.”

PBS said the new deal for “Sesame Street” will include these features:

• New episodes will be released on PBS stations, the PBS Kids Channel, and across PBS Kids digital platforms.
• An expanded collection of 25 new and library episodes will be available to stream across PBS Kids digital platforms. New episodes will also be available on Netflix the same day.
• New games will be added to the growing library of 25-plus “Sesame Street” games available on pbskids.org and the PBS Kids Games app.
• Full episodes and clips will be available on the PBS Kids YouTube Channel.
• Sesame Workshop and PBS Kids will expand the existing library of parent and educator resources on PBS Kids for Parents and PBS LearningMedia.
• An evergreen toolkit of “Sesame Street’-related assets will be available to PBS stations to support their local sustainability and public service efforts.

“I strongly believe that our educational programming for children is one of the most important aspects of our service to the American people, and ‘Sesame Street’ has been an integral part of that critical work for more than half a century,” said Paula Kerger, president and CEO, PBS. “We’re proud to continue our partnership in the pursuit of having a profound impact on the lives of children for years to come.”

With support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS, this partnership ensures PBS’s ability to continue making this programming and providing it for free and without commercials the same day as the episodes become available on Netflix the same day, the networks aid.

“This unique public-private partnership ensures children in communities across the U.S. continue to have free access on PBS Kids to the Sesame Street they love,” said Sherrie Westin, CEO, Sesame Workshop. “This combined support advances our mission and ensures we can help all children—everywhere—grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.

As Hollywood tries to digest the potential impact of President Donald Trump’s proposal to impose tariffs on foreign-produced films, Netflix has broken ground on a major new state-of-the-art production facility in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.

Netflix plans to invest $1 billion to transform the 292-acre former U.S. Army installation into a premier East Coast production hub. The development will feature 12 cutting-edge soundstages totaling nearly 500,000 square feet, with additional areas dedicated to supporting film uses and community amenities.

“Netflix is proud to invest in American innovation and the creative community,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony on May 13. “We estimate that these studios will create thousands of jobs for New Jersey residents, billions of dollars in economic output, and many other cultural benefits to the region and state. Over the past four years, Netflix has contributed $125 billion to the US economy and hired more than 140,000 cast and crew members. And we’re excited to continue our investment in the US and New Jersey in the coming years.”

After Sarandos’ remarks, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy took the stage and emphasized the project's economic and cultural significance. “As the birthplace of the motion picture industry, New Jersey couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Netflix — a name synonymous with 21st century entertainment — to the Garden State,” Murphy said. “The Netflix studio at Fort Monmouth further solidifies New Jersey’s reputation as a global leader in film and television production, attracting some of the world’s top filmmakers and creators to the state. We are grateful to Netflix for choosing New Jersey as its new home on the East Coast and for committing to an investment that will fuel economic growth, generate thousands of new jobs, and bring more patrons to our local businesses.”

In 2022, Netflix announced plans to transform Fort Monmouth, a property that had been largely vacant for over a decade, into a production facility that local political leaders hope will become an important engine of economic growth. The project is expected to create a substantial number of permanent production jobs and construction-related positions.

Netflix reported that they worked with the cities of Eatontown and Oceanport, as well as Monmouth County, during the last three years to secure approvals for the initial phase of the proposed Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth. Demolition is expected to take around 13 months, and the studio is projected to open in 2028. However, further approvals are required before construction on the studio complex can begin in full.

Netflix reported some notable milestones in its upfront presentation, telling advertisers that its ad-supported plan, which now reaches more than 94 million global monthly active users and that it has more 18-34-year-olds viewers than any other U.S. broadcast or cable network.

Amy Reinhard, Netflix’s president of advertising also stressed that subscribers to its ad-supported tier were highly engaged, spending an average of 41 hours per month on Netflix.

“When you compare us to our competitors, attention starts much higher and ends much higher. And even more impressive, members pay as much attention to mid-roll ads as they do to the shows and the movies themselves,” she said.

What sets Netflix apart is “our ability to marry art and science, combining best-in-class technology with the shows and movies that everyone is talking about and watching,” Reinhard explained. “So while a lot of companies are either/or — either they have great technology, or they have great entertainment — our superpower has always been the fact that we have both. And because our audience is unique, engaged and attentive, a dollar spent on Netflix is more valuable than a dollar spent anywhere else.”

During the presentation Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer, said that with more than 700 million people watching, Netflix is uniquely positioned to put brands at the center of attention. “Today, everyone really is watching Netflix,” said Lee. “Last year, we had more shows in the Nielsen Top 10 than all other streaming services combined. And just last week, Nielsen reported that we have eight of the top 20 shows across broadcast, on-demand, and streaming.”

Lee announced several global co-branded creative campaigns coming this year, including Wendy’s, Cheetos and Booking.com for the highly anticipated return of "Wednesday". “It's all about bringing stories to life in ways none of us can do on our own. And that’s our idea of the perfect partnership,” she said.

Reinhard also highlighted a number of developments in terms of ad technologies that the streamer is offering advertisers.

The Netflix Ads Suite, Netflix’s in-house advertising platform, is now live in the US and Canada, will be live next week in EMEA, and available in all 12 ad-supported countries by June, she said. The new platform allows advertisers to target more than 100 interests in over 17 categories, including life stages.

“By controlling our own ad tech, we’ll be able to deliver newer tools, better measurement, and more creative formats,” Reinhard added. “The Netflix Ads Suite is also designed to help you tap into the magic that makes Netflix Netflix.”

More specifically Reinhard highlighted four important aspects of the platform:

• Enhanced Data Capabilities: With Netflix Ads Suite, advertisers can now incorporate their first-party data, either through LiveRamp or directly with Netflix, so clients can match data sets for behavioral insights and targeting capabilities against Netflix’s ads audience. Netflix also opened third-party data access to trusted partners like Experian and Acxiom and announced its own clean room strategy, where it can collaborate with brands in a private, secure environment on everything from planning and activation to measurement. All while protecting the privacy of our members.
• More Buying: The Netflix Ads Suite will offer more options and deal types, allowing clients to transact in whatever way works best for them.
• Expanded Measurement: Netflix announced the development of new first-party measurement solutions, starting with a brand lift capability tying viewing behaviors to consumer brand perceptions.
• Creative Formats: Netflix debuted a new modular framework for ad formats that leverages generative AI to instantly marry advertisers’ ads with its shows. Reinhard unveiled the first capability with interactive midroll and pause formats that build custom advertising creative with added overlays, call to action, second screen buttons, and more to serve the right ad to the right member at the right time. These formats will be available by 2026 in all ad-supported countries.
• Netflix Ads Suite: Enhanced data capabilities, expanded measurement, creative formats.

“So if you take away anything from today, I hope it’s this: the foundation of our ads business is in place. And going forward, the pace of progress is going to be even faster,” said Reinhard. “Plus, we already have the most important thing: the most engaged audience anywhere.”

LOS GATOS, Calif.—Netflix has announced that starting May 19 it will begin rolling out a major upgrade to its user interface and the TV experience it offers streaming subscribers with a much more flexible homepage that is capable of changing to reflect a user’s search and viewing habits.

The platform's flexibility will also make it much easier for the streaming service to innovate and rapidly change its offering, Netflix executives stressed in a briefing with the press.

Other notable new features include improved generative AI features for search and discovery.

“The new Netflix TV experience is still the one you know and love — just better,” said chief product officer Eunice Kim. “When we first started thinking about this project, we wanted to create an experience that was more flexible for our broad entertainment offerings, more intuitive and responsive to our members’ needs, and capable of elevating the most thrilling moments on Netflix.”

In announcing the new UI, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone highlighted the flexibility that it will provide the streaming service in the future. “What’s most exciting to me is how our new TV experience gives us the ability to evolve and innovate more easily going forward," Stone said. "That’s how we’re going to make the Netflix people know even better. And it’s how we’ll continue to connect them with even more shows, movies and games they’ll love.”

Reacting to the announcement, Richard Greenfield, an analyst at Lightshed Partners noted that the new platform will also make it much harder for other streamers to copy Netflix's UI.

"Virtually every change Netflix has made to its on-screen user interface has been copied by their streaming competitors," he wrote in a note to investors. The new "UI is nearly impossible to copy as there is no set UI to copy. A streaming competitor would need to copy the underlying code Netflix has built rather than the simple UI look and feel as they have repeatedly done in the past. In turn, Netflix hopes to further distance themselves from their steaming competitors by offering an immersive interface others cannot replicate."

Kim and Stone described the new features and experiences as follows:

• "Discover Your Next Great Watch More Easily: We’re putting all the information you need to make an informed choice about what to watch front and center. That way you can better focus on what makes each title relevant for you, with callouts like `Emmy Award Winner' or `#1 in TV Shows.'”
• "More Visible Shortcuts: Until now, shortcuts to Search and My List were somewhat hidden on the left-hand side. We’re moving them to the top of the page where they’re more noticeable and easier to access."
• "Better Realtime Recommendations: We’re making the recommendations on the homepage more responsive to your moods and interests in the moment."
• "Elevated Design: The new homepage has a clean and modern design that better reflects the elevated experience you’ve come to expect on Netflix."

The mobile experience is also getting some new features, which they described as follows:

• "A New Way to Search: We’re also exploring ways to bring Generative AI to our members’ discovery experience, starting with a search feature on iOS that is a small opt-in beta. This will allow members to search for shows and movies using natural, conversational phrases like `I want something funny and upbeat.'"
• "A New Way to Discover: In the coming weeks, we’ll be testing a vertical feed filled with clips of Netflix shows and movies to make discovery easy and fun. You'll be able to tap to watch the whole show or movie immediately, add it to My List, or share with friends."

Netflix also released a video showing changes to its UI over the years and its briefing with reporters describing the new interface.

Netflix reported generally positive results for first-quarter 2025, with revenue up 13% year-over-year to $10.543 billion and operating income growing by 27% to $3.347 billion. Both were ahead of the streamer’s guidance due to slight upticks in subscriptions and ad revenue and the timing of expenses.

Earnings per share hit $6.61.

The earnings topped Wall Street expectations and investors reacted generally positively to the news, with the stock up 3.03% in after-hours trading as of 7:10 p.m. ET.

This was the first quarter for Netflix’s new policy of not reporting quarterly subscriber counts.

In the U.S. and Canada, growth was slower, with revenue up 9% to $4.617 billion.

The company touted its progress in expanding its ad business, which along with price hikes, has become a key component of its future growth plans, but provided few specifics.

“As we deliver more value to members, we refine our plans and pricing to improve monetization to drive investment in future service improvements,” Netflix said. “Our ads plan allows us to offer lower price points for consumers while creating an additional revenue and profit stream for our business. We continue to make progress building our ads business. We remain on track to reach sufficient scale with our member base in all ads countries in 2025, and we expect to continue to grow our ads membership from this strong base in the future.”

It also touted the reach of its audience, which it pegged at more than 700 million globally.

The company reiterated its guidance for 2025 despite recent economic and stock market turmoil.

“We continue to forecast 2025 revenue of $43.5B-$44.5B, which assumes healthy member growth, higher subscription pricing and a rough doubling of our ad revenue, partially offset by F/X net of hedging,” Netflix said in a letter to shareholders. “We’re still targeting a 29% operating margin for 2025 based on F/X rates as of Jan. 1, 2025. There’s been no material change to our overall business outlook since our last earnings report, although at current F/X rates (with the recent weakness of the U.S. dollar relative to most other currencies), we’re currently tracking above the midpoint of our 2025 revenue guidance range.”

LOS GATOS, Calif.—After greatly expanding its global production and offering programming from around the world, Netflix is also making the viewing experience more multilingual with a new “Language Picker” feature that allows viewers to select from more than 30 languages for subtitles and dubs when watching programs on TV.

In launching the feature, the streamer explained that nearly a third of all viewing on Netflix is for non-English stories and that its catalog includes a wide variety of TV shows and movies in over 30 languages, from critically acclaimed films to binge-worthy series.

In addition, some of the most popular TV and film titles available on the streaming platform include Squid Game (Korea), Berlin (Spain), Lupin (France), Who Killed Sara? (Mexico), Troll (Norway), and Oscar winner All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany).

In response to viewer demand to make its programming available in more language, Netflix has launched a new features that allows viewers to pick from the full list of available languages for any title when watching Netflix on a TV. Netflix noted that this much-anticipated feature carries over the experience members already enjoy on mobile devices and web browsers.

Netflix also explained that many members use Netflix to learn a foreign language thanks to the many languages available on the service and it is now offering additional features to support language learning, including the ability to customize subtitles, and the Browse by Language feature on PC computers. These helpful features enhance the accessibility of shows and movies, while supporting those set on being multilingual.

More details are available in this YouTube video

In a groundbreaking bid to streamline and “democratize” the production process, Netflix has laid out how it is developing a new “Media Production Suite,” that the streaming platform says significantly improves the economics of producing content, streamlines workflows and democratizes production technologies in ways that will “unlock global talent pools for our productions.”

“Building a global scalable solution that could be utilized in a diversity of markets has been an exciting challenge,” Netflix reported in a blog. “We set out to provide customizable and feature-rich tooling for advanced users while remaining intuitive and streamlined enough for less experienced filmmakers. With collaboration from Netflix teams, vendors, and talent across the globe, we’ve taken a bold step forward in enabling a suite of tools inside Netflix Content Hub that democratizes technology: the Media Production Suite. While leveraging our scale economies and access to resources, we can now unlock global talent pools for our productions, drastically reduce non-creative task-based work, streamline workflows, and level the playing field between our markets, ultimately maximizing the time available for what matters most; creative work!”

In describing the effort, Netflix said it was working to reduce the “significant time and resources are devoted to managing media logistics throughout the production lifecycle. An average Netflix title produces around ~200 Terabytes of Original Camera Files (OCF), with outliers up to 700 Terabytes, not including any work-in-progress files, VFX assets, 3D assets, etc.”

This creates enormous logical problems in accessing the media and moving it to the cloud. It also wanted to overcome “the technical limitations in traditional workflows that reduce access to media and restrict filmmakers’ access to talent.”

Another key driver was addressing the lack of standardized technologies and tools.

“By embracing open standards, we not only streamline these processes but also facilitate smoother collaboration across diverse markets and countries, ensuring that our global productions can operate with unparalleled efficiency and cohesion,” Netflix explained in a tech blog. “To ensure this, we’ve decided to lean heavily into standards like ACES, AMF, ASC MHL, ASC FDL, and OTIO. ACES and AMF for color pipeline management. ASC MHL for any file management/verifications. ASC FDL will serve as our framing interoperability and OTIO for any timeline interchange. Leaning into standards like this means that many things can be automated at scale and more importantly, high-complexity workflows can be offered to markets or shows that don’t normally have access to them.”

The resulting Media Production Suite, Netflix explained, consists of two main features:

Netflix Hybrid Infrastructure: “Netflix has invested in a hybrid infrastructure, a mix of cloud-based and physically distributed capabilities operating in multiple locations across the world and close to our productions to optimize user performance,” Netflix reported. “This infrastructure is available for Netflix shows and is foundational under Content Hub’s Media Production Suite tooling. Local storage and compute services are connected through the Netflix Open Connect network (Netflix Content Delivery Network) to the infrastructure of Amazon Web Services (AWS). The system facilitates large volumes of camera and sound media and is built for speed.” As part of this Netflix has started to roll out Content Hub Ingest Centers globally to provide high-speed internet connectivity where required. With all media centralized, MPS eliminates the need for physical media transport and reduces the risk of human error. This approach not only streamlines operations but also enhances security and accessibility, Netflix said.
Automation and Tooling: In addition to the Netflix Hybrid infrastructure layer, MPS consists of a suite of tools that tap into the media in the Netflix ecosystem. The Netflix blog described these tools as follows:

• Footage Ingest — An application that allows users to upload media/files into Content Hub.
• Media Library — A central library that allows users to search, preview, share and download media.
• Dailies — A workflow, backed by an operational team, offering automated Quality Control of your footage, sound sync, application of color, rendering, and delivering dailies directly to editorial.
• Remote Workstations — Offering access to remote editorial workstations and storage for post-production needs.
• VFX Pulls — An automated method for converting and delivering visual effects plates, associated color, and framing files to VFX vendors.
• Conform Pulls — An automated method for consolidating, trimming, and delivering all OCF to picture-finishing vendors.
• Media Downloader — An automated download tool that initiates a download once media has been made available in the Netflix cloud.

Netflix reported that over 350 titles have made use of at least one of the tools noted above. Input has been taken from all over the world while the while the solution was in development with users ranging from UCAN (United States/Canada), EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), SEA (South East Asia), LATAM (Latin America), and APAC (Asia Pacific).

The full blog is available here.

A video describing the solution is available here.

A video describing how Media Production Suite was used in one production is available below.