Netflix | The Verge

Netflix’s ad ambitions just keep growing

2026-05-13T14:45:32-04:00

For the second year in a row, Netflix's ad-supported tier more than doubled its monthly viewerbase. During its 2026 upfront presentation, Netflix revealed that its $8.99-per-month plan reaches more than 250 million people around the globe, a significant leap from 94 million users reported last year.

The streaming service reported earning $1.5 billion from ads in 2025, and now it's finding more areas to stick them across its service. Starting next year, Netflix will start showing ads in the vertical video feed it just launched on its mobile app, and in the lineup of podcasts it began adding to the platform late last year.

Netflix first roll …

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Texas sues Netflix for advertising ‘bait and switch’ and spying

2026-05-11T17:13:16-04:00

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, accusing the company of turning its back on its promise to remain ad-free and safe for kids. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, claims Netflix has "opened Texans' data for inspection by the same Big Ad Tech community it once criticized for exploiting users in this same way."

In the lawsuit, Paxton claims Netflix drove up subscriptions by promoting its platform as an "escape from Big Tech surveillance." But that changed when Netflix introduced an ad-supported streaming plan in 2022, something co-founder Reed Hastings promised not to do. Its move into digital advertising allowe …

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Netflix may have finally figured out games

2026-05-11T08:19:26-04:00

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on Netflix, follow Andrew Webster. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.

How it started

Boggle has become a spectator sport in my household. Everyone crowds around the TV while one of us plays, and the crowd either helps shout out words or waits patiently for their turn. There's a lot of yelling. But it's a game that my family can hop into easily, and once someone starts playing, it seems everyone slowly drifts into the room to join in. The surprising part is that the experience is ha …

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Netflix has its own, impressive AI-powered voice search

2026-05-07T12:05:31-04:00

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week.

A small subset of Netflix viewers just got a new way to find movies and TV shows. The streamer recently started to test an AI-powered native voice search feature with some subscribers, prompting them to press the Netflix button on their remote control to ask for viewing recommendations.

Once viewers press the button, they're presented with a few search suggestions, including phrases like "I need a good cry," "watch in the background," and "help me stay awake." Each of these sug …

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Here’s what Netflix’s new vertical video feed is like

2026-04-29T05:39:44-04:00

Netflix is starting to roll out a big revamp of its mobile app, and a central feature is a new vertical video feed called "Clips" where you can scroll through clips of shows, movies, and other Netflix content.

The idea of the Clips feed is that it can help you discover new things to watch in a mobile-friendly format. The company started testing a vertical video feed last year, saying at the time that "we know that swiping through a vertical feed on social media apps is an easy way to browse video content." The new mobile UI will start rolling out starting Thursday in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Afri …

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Netflix can’t seem to follow up its biggest shows

2026-04-23T10:41:17-04:00

It hasn't been that long since Stranger Things ended, but even still fans are clearly clamoring for more. The finale was overshadowed by a conspiracy about a secret episode, and an otherwise standard behind-the-scenes documentary became a hotbed for theorizing. Of course, given the scale of Stranger Things, Netflix was never going to let the franchise die completely, but its first attempt at expanding the franchise largely falls flat. Tales From '85 is a stakes-free return to Hawkins that's missing most of what made the original series such a phenomenon. And it's another example of Netflix struggling to turn its biggest shows into ongoing fr …

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Netflix embraces vertical video with major mobile app update

2026-04-16T16:29:56-04:00

Netflix announced on Thursday that it will be launching a redesigned mobile app, which will include a vertical video feed, at the end of April. "This redesign will better reflect our expanding entertainment offering and make it easier for members to engage how and when they want," the company said in its Q1 2026 earnings letter to shareholders.

In Thursday's letter, the company said that the lines between "entertainment on TV and mobile devices are blurring," noting that video podcasts "over-index" on mobile. Co-CEO Greg Peters said in January that the company was planning to revamp its mobile UI as a way to "better serve the expansion of o …

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Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings is officially leaving the company

2026-04-17T05:38:53-04:00

Netflix cofounder and chairman Reed Hastings plans to leave the company after nearly 30 years. The news comes as part of Netflix's Q1 2026 earnings results released on Thursday, which says Hastings "will not stand for re-election to our Board when his current term expires at the Annual Meeting in June."

After cofounding Netflix in 1997, Hastings served as CEO from 1999 to 2023, when he stepped down and took on the role of chairman. "My real contribution at Netflix wasn't a single decision; it was a focus on member joy, building a culture that others could inherit and improve, and building a company that could be both beloved by members and …

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How Netflix made us fall in love with K-dramas

2026-04-16T11:46:30-04:00

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week.

What do you get if you take a bunch of ripped, shirtless male K-pop idols in boxing gloves and have them spar in the ring until they're sweating? For Netflix: another global hit.

The streamer's K-drama Bloodhounds, now in its second season, is currently tearing up its global viewing charts. Season 2 attracted 7.4 million views last week, making it the most-watched non-English TV show worldwide on the service, and the third-most-popular show overall.

Bloodhounds is no exception …

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Netflix’s TV games get a big boost with Jackbox collection

2026-04-09T14:25:22-04:00

A screenshot from the PC version of Quiplash 3.

Netflix's party-focused lineup of TV games just got three excellent new additions: Jackbox's Drawful 2, Fibbage 4, and Quiplash 3, available as the Jackbox Party Essentials pack on the platform. Subscribers can access Jackbox Party Essentials at no additional cost and use their phones as controllers to play.

The Jackbox bundle seems like a natural fit for the platform; Netflix's other TV games include multiplayer party versions of Boggle and Pictionary, and people who have already played games in Jackbox's other Party Packs will be familiar with using their phone as a controller. If you get some friends together to check out Jackbox Party E …

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