Netflix Is Getting Serious About Podcasts
Netflix is making a bigger bet on podcasts.
On September 1, the company announced that it was renewing its entire original podcast lineup while commissioning new shows from comedian Katt Williams and author Harlan Coben. It is also bringing established podcast talent to the platform, including The Pivot Podcast and OUTLORE with Eleanor Neale.
Netflix says it now has more than 60 podcasts available, spanning true crime, sports, comedy, food and storytelling. The new slate includes The Rotten Files with Stephanie Soo, Wishbone Kitchen with Meredith Hayden, Last Trace with Kaelyn Moore and Couldn't Agree Less with Allison & Isaac.
The announcement suggests Netflix is moving beyond testing podcasts and building a more deliberate catalogue around creators, formats and genres that fit its wider entertainment business.
Netflix wants the people, not just the shows
The most revealing part of the announcement is the range of talent involved.
Katt Williams is already part of Netflix's comedy business, while Harlan Coben is the author behind I Will Find You, one of Netflix's popular series. Meanwhile, creators such as Stephanie Soo and Meredith Hayden bring established audiences and podcast formats into Netflix's catalogue.
That gives Netflix several routes into podcasting at once: develop original shows, commission established talent and bring successful podcasts onto a service where audiences already consume other forms of entertainment.
The company has been building toward this. In July, Netflix highlighted a growing collection of video podcasts available to subscribers, including The Bill Simmons Podcast, Pardon My Take and My Favorite Murder, alongside its own original productions. Netflix said those shows were available as part of its subscription without an additional charge.
The September announcement makes the strategy look more deliberate.
Netflix is becoming another destination for podcasts
For creators, Netflix offers something different from a traditional podcast platform.
Podcasts on Netflix appear alongside films and television shows, with users able to search for them or access them through a dedicated podcast hub. Netflix says podcasts are available across its plans at no additional cost.
That makes established shows such as The Pivot Podcast particularly interesting. Netflix does not need to build every audience from scratch. It can bring shows with existing communities onto its platform while giving those audiences another way to watch or listen.
The Pivot Podcast, hosted by Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder, is scheduled to arrive on Netflix on September 8. OUTLORE with Eleanor Neale follows on September 27.
Netflix has also already brought video versions of major podcasts from Spotify, Barstool Sports and iHeart onto the service. Its earlier deals included The Bill Simmons Podcast, Pardon My Take and My Favorite Murder.
The company is therefore building a podcast catalogue through a mix of original productions, established shows and video partnerships.
The video question is getting harder to separate
Netflix's expansion comes as podcasting becomes increasingly video-led.
YouTube has become a major destination for podcast viewing, while Apple Podcasts has expanded its support for video. Netflix enters that market with a different advantage: people already use the service specifically to watch video, and podcasts can sit inside the same entertainment environment as its films and series.
That does not mean Netflix will replace Spotify or YouTube as a podcast platform. Its catalogue remains small compared with those ecosystems, and Netflix has not said that every podcast on the service will become exclusive.
But its latest move changes the competitive picture.
Netflix is no longer simply testing whether podcasts belong on its platform. It is building a catalogue around the creators, formats and audiences it believes fit its service.
With more than 60 podcasts already available, the experiment is beginning to look like a long-term strategy.
