Netflix

Netflix Follow Follow With nearly 150 million subscribers around the world, Netflix has a commanding lead in the streaming wars. But it’s also facing heavy competition from deep-pocketed conglomerates like Disney, Apple, and AT&T, and an ongoing wave of narrow, targeted streaming sites like CBS All Access and DC Universe, which can draw on popular existing franchises for original content. As fewer companies are willing to license out their films and shows to other streaming sites, Netflix is pouring billions of dollars annually into its own original content. Follow along with The Verge as we look at Netflix’s new films and shows, its evolving strategies against new entrants in the market, and how it’s leveraging its technological and marketing lead. A Star is born One night in the audience of Netflix’s most ambitious live show yet. David Pierce Feb 16 E External Link Emma Roth Feb 10 Link Paramount ups its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, again. Now, Paramount is offering to cover the $2.8 billion termination fee that Warner Bros. Discovery would owe Netflix for abandoning the $82.7 billion merger agreement. It’s also tossing in a $0.25 per share “ticking fee” that it would pay shareholders for every quarter its deal hasn’t closed beyond December 31st, 2026. David Ellison Adds New Sweeteners In Hostile Paramount Megadeal Bid For Warner Bros. [ The Hollywood Reporter ] C Youtube Charles Pulliam-Moore Feb 10 Link This isn’t even Tony Tony Chopper’s final form. There’s a lot to see in Netflix’s new trailer for the live-action One Piece ’s upcoming second season , but the most surprising reveal here is a fresh look at Tony Tony Chopper’s (Mikaela Hoover) Walk Point form that turns him into a much more normal-looking reindeer. The show’s out March 10th. A Youtube Antonio G. Di Benedetto Feb 9 Link Netflix’s drip feed of new Sesame Street episodes continues March 9th. The next four episodes of Sesame Street are dropping soon on Netflix and will include a cameo from Miley Cyrus . Will they also go back to having a Letter and Number of the Day and a proper ending song ? I won’t hold my breath, but I’ll still be bitter. Republicans attack ‘woke’ Netflix — and ignore YouTube Emma Roth Feb 5 Republicans haul Netflix before Congress for being too ‘woke’ Lauren Feiner Feb 4 Millions of books died so Claude could live David Pierce Feb 3 J External Link Jay Peters Feb 3 Link BTS, live on Netflix. You’ll be able to livestream the famous K-Pop group’s first concert in three years on March 21st, the day after the new BTS album comes out. You might want some coffee, though; the show starts at 7AM ET that day. BTS Returns with Their First Concert in 3 Years — Streaming Live on Netflix [ Netflix Tudum ] A TikTok Andru Marino Jan 30 Link Are Netflix’s podcasts actually podcasts? Though Netflix originals The Pete Davidson Show and The White House with Michael Irvin look and feel like a podcast, they lack a lot of features podcast listeners are used to, like RSS feed downloads and chapter markers. Here’s my take. What Netflix’s Warner Bros. deal could mean for TVs and remotes Janko Roettgers Jan 29 Play Netflix is eating Hollywood — because it has to What the bidding war over Warner Bros. Discovery says about the future of Hollywood, with Puck’s Julia Alexander. Nilay Patel Jan 29 A former Netflix game studio went indie to reach more players Andrew Webster Jan 27 Truth and AI in Minneapolis David Pierce Jan 27 Netflix earned $1.5 billion from ads in 2025 Emma Roth Jan 20 Netflix will revamp its mobile UI this year Jay Peters Jan 20 E External Link Emma Roth Jan 20 Link Netflix says it’s using AI to improve subtitle localization. As part of its earnings report released on Tuesday, Netflix also said it has launched AI-powered tools designed to “connect members with the most relevant titles for them to watch.” It also plans on building upon its AI advertising tools that already allow companies to blend Netflix’s IP with their ads . Letter to Shareholders [ Netflix ] J External Link Jay Peters Jan 20 Link Netflix’s “cloud-first games strategy” is one of its focuses for 2026. Netflix, in its Q4 shareholder letter, says that early results for its cloud-streamed TV games launched last year are “encouraging.” It’s going to expand the lineup in 2026 with games like its new FIFA football sim . (No mention of new games available on mobile.) Letter to Shareholders [ Netflix ] Netflix’s Star Search will let you vote to decide who wins Charles Pulliam-Moore Jan 20 Netflix revises Warner Bros. bid to an all-cash offer Jess Weatherbed Jan 20 J External Link Jay Peters Jan 19 Link Live-action Universal films are coming to Netflix “much sooner than expected.” Originally, the live-action movies were going to come to Netflix starting in 2027 , but What’s on Netflix reports that they’re appearing starting this year, beginning with Megan 2.0 on January 26th. The films still stream on Peacock first before jumping to Netflix. Universal Pictures’ Live-Action First-Window Deal With Netflix Begins a Year Early [ What's on Netflix ] T Quote Terrence O'Brien Jan 17 Link Matt Damon told Joe Rogan that Netflix wants movies to repeatedly explain the plot in dialogue because people are always on their phone. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck went on the Joe Rogan Experience to promote their new film The Rip , and ended up sharing some very depressing details about Netflix’s love of repeated exposition dumps and its approach to filmmaking in this age of constant distraction. As Variety reports: “The standard way to make an action movie that we learned was, you usually have three set pieces. One in the first act, one in the second, one in the third,” Damon explained. “You spend most of your money on that one in the third act. That’s your finale. And now they’re like, ‘Can we get a big one in the first five minutes? We want people to stay. And it wouldn’t be terrible if you reiterated the plot three or four times in the dialogue because people are on their phones while they’re watching.’” Ted Sarandos says Netflix will commit to 45-day theatrical releases Charles Pulliam-Moore Jan 16 Casting is dead. Long live casting! Janko Roettgers Jan 16 J External Link Jay Peters Jan 15 Link Netflix and Sony have a new global streaming deal. As part of a multiyear agreement , Sony Picture Entertainment films will stream on Netflix worldwide following their “full theatrical and home entertainment runs.” The deal is worth more than $7 billion, Deadline reports . Netflix already has Pay-1 rights in the US and other select territories. Netflix to be the exclusive Pay-1 streaming home of Sony Pictures’ feature films following full theatrical and home entertainment runs [ Netflix ] Netflix’s first original podcasts star Pete Davidson and Michael Irvin Emma Roth Jan 14 D Dominic Preston Jan 14 Link Netflix orders more from the Squid Game creator. The Dealer will be a crime series following a casino dealer who starts gambling herself to fund her wedding. Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk will produce the show , though he isn’t writing or directing this time. Hwang Dong-hyuk (left) will produce the new show, with Jung So-min (third from left) in the lead role. Image: Netflix E External Link Emma Roth Jan 13 Link Netflix is reportedly considering an all-cash offer for Warner Bros. As reported by Bloomberg , the revised deal would replace Netflix’s existing agreement to acquire WBD’s studio and streaming business in a cash and stock transaction. The rumored change comes as Paramount continues to press WBD to accept its “superior” $108 billion all-cash deal for the entire company. Netflix Weighs Amending Warner Bros. Bid to Make It All Cash [ Bloomberg ] The Stranger Things behind-the-scenes doc is a lot more boring than a secret episode Andrew Webster Jan 12 C Youtube Charles Pulliam-Moore Jan 12 Link The Baroques are coming to One Piece season 2. The new teaser trailer for the second season of Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation introduces the show’s take on Baroque Works, the superpowered crime syndicate fixated on toppling the Arabasta Kingdom and taking out anyone who gets in their way. The new season drops on March 10th. Black Mirror has been renewed for another season Charles Pulliam-Moore Jan 9 Netflix is bringing back some big franchises in 2026 Andrew Webster Jan 7 J Jay Peters Jan 5 Link Boss refight. The team formerly at Boss Fight Entertainment, which worked on Netflix’s Squid Game mobile game before being shut down last year , has formed a new studio called Sunwise Games. The studio is working on a new, original game. “I created Sunwise because it’s the change I want to see in the games industry: clear scope, ethical monetization, and teams built to deliver reliably over time,” founder Irin Berry says in a statement. Image: Sunwise Games R External Link Richard Lawler Jan 2 Link Duffer Bros. say that rumors of cut or unseen Stranger Things season five footage are “obviously” fake. If you believe internet rumors claiming the Stranger Things finale had “two hours” cut from its two-hour runtime, and have ignored actors and others saying that the claim is fake, the show’s creators have responded. Asked about it by Variety , Matt Duffer said, “Obviously, that’s not a real thing,” while Ross Duffer added, “I don’t think there’s a single cut scene in the entire season.” ‘Stranger Things’ Finale Spoiler Interview: Duffer Brothers on Whether Eleven Is Alive, Debating Who Got to Kill [SPOILER] and Why the Rock From the Briefcase Is Key to the Spinoff [ Variety ] R Youtube Richard Lawler Dec 30, 2025 Link The Strangest Thing. The main Stranger Things series is coming to an end when the final episode is released tomorrow, on New Year’s Eve at 8PM ET. Netflix released this new trailer for the finale, which is also going to be shown in theaters , where people can watch together regardless of their familiarity with “shipping” and/or fandom designation . R Richard Lawler Dec 25, 2025 Link Stranger Things fandom drama strikes one more time. In an Elite Daily interview ahead of this week’s penultimate release , series star Gaten Matarazzo referenced the “Stonathan” pairing and said he liked the idea behind “Steddie” fanfics. But saying the “Byler” shipping between Will and Mike, was “very funny. I see them as just very good friends,” seemingly went too far for some, with social media posts targeting the interviewer, and some even claiming it was a fake quote. The best shows and movies to stream on Netflix in 2025 Ash Parrish Dec 24, 2025 How Last Samurai Standing adds kinetic action to the Battle Royale formula Junichi Okada talks about the new Netflix series and how his role as action planner touches nearly every part of it. Geoffrey Bunting Dec 23, 2025 Netflix doesn’t stream its ‘Originals’ forever, here are some that may leave in 2026 Andrew Liszewski Dec 22, 2025 E External Link Elizabeth Lopatto Dec 22, 2025 Link An update: Larry Ellison will guarantee his big boy’s offer. Last week, we talked about how Warner Bros. — quite reasonably! — had some agita about David Ellison’s bid for the company. Well, what do you know, David’s daddy is going to personally guarantee the offer. Also, since the last time we talked, Jared Kushner backed out of the nepo baby bid . Larry Ellison Personally Guarantees Paramount Bid for Warner Brothers [ nytimes.com ] Netflix is acquiring an avatar company as it moves into party games Jay Peters Dec 19, 2025 Most Popular Most Popular Apple’s doing something on March 4th Why are Epstein’s emails full of equals signs? 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