Netflix leans into video podcasts

Netflix is turning video podcasts into regular Netflix programming, not a side experiment. (netflix.com) On April 16, Netflix announced “We’re Back! With Brian Williams,” a new interview show from the former NBC News anchor that will debut later in 2026. Netflix said the series will feature Williams in “relaxed, wide-ranging” conversations with actors, writers, musicians, athletes, journalists, and other public figures. (netflix.com) The same day, Netflix said Evan Ross Katz’s “Shut Up Evan” will premiere May 1 and run twice a week. Tuesdays will carry one-on-one interviews under “Deep in the DMs With…,” and Fridays will feature a celebrity panel called “The Group Chat.” (netflix.com) Netflix also added three more video podcasts to the slate this week: Stephanie Soo’s “The Rotten Files,” NBC News correspondent Ellison Barber’s “Allegedly,” and “The Puzzle Room with David Kwong.” Variety reported the company had already moved into podcast distribution deals last year with Spotify, iHeartMedia, and Barstool Sports. (variety.com) At the same time, Netflix is changing how people find those shows inside the app. The company said on April 17 that it will launch a TikTok-like vertical video feed in its mobile apps later this month, after testing the feature in 2025. (techcrunch.com) Netflix has been building toward that shift for a year. In May 2025, Chief Product Officer Eunice Kim said Netflix was testing a mobile feed filled with clips from shows and movies, alongside more responsive recommendations and an opt-in generative artificial intelligence search tool on iOS. (about.netflix.com) Co-Chief Executive Gregory Peters said on Netflix’s first-quarter call that the company has used personalization systems for two decades and still sees “tremendous room” to improve them with newer models. TechCrunch reported Peters said those systems can support “different content types” more efficiently, a phrase that fits Netflix’s expanding mix of films, series, live events, games, and now video podcasts. (techcrunch.com) The business case is straightforward: Netflix wants discovery to happen inside Netflix, not on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram. In its July 2025 engagement report, the company said watch time is its best measure of member satisfaction because people who watch more are more likely to stay subscribed and recommend the service. (about.netflix.com) That helps explain why the new podcasts look built for clipping as much as for full-length viewing. Katz’s show is structured around short interviews and weekly reaction panels, and Williams’ series is framed as unscripted conversation with recognizable guests from across popular culture. (netflix.com, netflix.com) Netflix is still calling these projects podcasts, but it is distributing them like television and surfacing them like social video. The next test is whether a swipeable clips feed can turn podcast episodes into the kind of habit-forming discovery engine Netflix has been chasing across the rest of its catalog. (techcrunch.com, about.netflix.com)