Netflix to add web videos from major digital publishers

Netflix will add videos from dozens of digital media publishers to its streaming catalog on Aug. 3, bringing web-native shows from companies including BuzzFeed, Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, People Inc. and Tastemade into its app. The move gives subscribers a new set of shorter programs that Netflix says can be watched without leaving its service.

Netflix announced the publisher lineup through its Tudum site, saying the videos will cover areas including food, travel, fashion, entertainment, design and wellness. The company said the clips and episodes will generally run between about three and 20 minutes.

The agreement includes brands such as Architectural Digest and Variety, according to The Verge. Examples cited in the coverage include Architectural Digest’s “Open Door” and Vanity Fair’s “Lie Detector Test,” two formats associated with online video viewing.

What Netflix is adding

TechCrunch reported that the deals cover both licensed back-catalog videos and new ongoing series. According to TechCrunch, some of the programming would ordinarily have appeared on YouTube or other online platforms.

That makes the arrangement different from Netflix’s core lineup of films, scripted series, documentaries and reality shows. The publisher videos are shorter and more closely tied to digital media brands that have built audiences outside subscription streaming services.

Netflix framed the additions as a way to collect popular internet video inside its own service. The company also said more digital publishers and partners may be added later, according to its announcement.

A push for more viewing options

The announcement follows a Bloomberg report on audience drop-offs for some Netflix shows after their first seasons. Bloomberg reported that some second seasons lost as much as 70 percent of the audience that watched season one.

Netflix has not tied the publisher-video deal directly to that report. Still, the timing places the rollout amid broader attention on how the service keeps viewers watching after they finish major series or skip returning seasons.

For publishers, the Netflix placement puts video franchises in front of subscribers who may not follow those brands on YouTube or social platforms. For Netflix, the deal adds a stream of relatively brief programs across lifestyle and entertainment categories without requiring viewers to open another app.

The company has not disclosed financial terms for the publisher agreements. Netflix’s announcement also did not list every title expected to arrive when the rollout begins on Aug. 3.

This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.