Major changes coming for Netflix subscribers
Netflix is getting its first facelift in 12 years.
The streaming giant on Wednesday announced a major overhaul of its home page, the first redesign since it unveiled its current home page in November 2013.
Additionally, the streamer announced it will begin testing generative AI-boosted search and a TikTok-like vertical video feed on mobile. While Netflix emphasised that these will initially be considered 'small tests,' meaning that not all Netflix users will initially receive the tools, the global scale of the tests suggests a much larger undertaking.
The streamer's sleek new TV home page will move its main menu from the left-hand side to the middle of the page, similar to rival Apple TV. Content descriptions will appear more compact, and recommendations will be more personalised in real-time based on browsing behaviour and the viewing time of day, the company said.
Signaling the streaming giant's ambitions outside of TV and film, the new menu will also emphasise more of Netflix's live events and gaming offerings, especially for users who have indicated a preference for such content.
Netflix chief product officer Eunice Kim and chief technology officer Elizabeth Stone revealed the new home page, along with the generative AI search tools and vertical video beta, to reporters on Tuesday during the company's first-ever virtual Product and Tech event. Netflix has been working on the new home page since last year, Kim told reporters, adding that the company will roll out the experiences 'in the next weeks and months.'
The first step of Netflix's foray into generative AI-boosted search will come via an opt-in beta test on mobile. Users will be able to discover content using 'natural conversational phrases like 'I want something funny and upbeat,'' the company said.
Netflix will begin testing the mobile vertical video feature in the coming weeks. The TikTok-like feed will contain clips from Netflix shows and movies, offering users bite-sized samples of content to scroll through for discovery, with programming just a tap away.
The announcement comes less than three weeks after Netflix reported record profits during its latest quarterly report, assuaging investors' anxieties in the face of economic chaos born from President Trump's tariffs.
Notably, however, Netflix's announcement comes just over one week before its May 14 upfront, when it will showcase its slate of offerings to advertisers. While Kim noted that 'this wasn't … timed to influence the upfronts,' the rebrand, coupled with Netflix's recent performance, is sure to stir up excitement even as advertisers appear sheepish in the face of economic headwinds.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Living off scraps': 21-year-old wants pay norm banned
A fired-up Gen Zer has declared being paid fortnightly in Australia should be straight-up 'banned' because she finds it difficult to manage her salary. Ren Adelina, 21, has amassed over 700,000 views on TikTok by declaring she's unhappy with a fortnightly pay cycle. 'Getting paid fortnightly needs to be genuinely banned,' she said. 'One week I am so rich, I am so rich! The next week … I am living off genuine scraps.' According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, fortnightly is the most common pay cycle for Aussie workers, followed by weekly and then monthly. Speaking to Ms Adelina reiterated her position and said she'd much prefer to be paid more frequently. 'I think it should be banned because for us Gen Zers we were never taught how to manage money properly,' she said. 'Getting a huge influx of money at once, of course, we are going to get excited and are going to blow it all on food, shopping, outings, etc.' Ms Adelina said the problem with that is that once it is gone, it is gone, and then she's got to hang out for another gruelling seven days. 'Then, after we spend it all, there is none left for the next week. Maybe I just have a shopping addiction,' she said. The 21-year-old doesn't just want to ban fortnightly pay with no other solution. She's got plans. 'I believe we should get paid weekly instead as it provides more frequent income, making it easier to manage all expenses. I think it also simplifies budgeting,' she said. Ms Adelina's suggestion of banning fortnightly pay quickly took a turn when people on the internet broke the news to her that some people get paid … monthly. One warned, 'Wait until you get paid monthly.' The 21-year-old replied, 'Stop, that is so scary!' Someone else chimed in and said getting paid monthly is 'criminal' and another demanded to know what professions get paid monthly so they can avoid them. The commentator quickly discovered that monthly pay isn't specific to one industry. Everyone, from childcare workers to tradies, get paid monthly. It is just up to the employer's discretion. The comment section quickly became populated by workers getting paid monthly who argued that fortnightly wasn't so bad in comparison. 'Babe, I'm counting my coins on monthly pay,' one said. 'Monthly is horrendous,' another shared. 'I get paid monthly. You got lucky,' someone claimed. 'Every adult I know gets paid monthly. Budgeting is hard,' another worker shared. 'Fortnightly isn't bad. Wait until you see monthly,' one warned. 'I applaud those who can wait a whole month. I can't even do two weeks,' someone else shared. Quite a few people also suggested to the 21-year-old that it wasn't how frequently she was getting paid but rather how she managed her money. 'Just budget. It really is not that difficult. I love getting paid fortnightly,' one shared. 'Not knowing how to budget should be banned,' another joked. 'I get paid fortnightly, and when you get paid, literally just split it in half and put it aside in another account until the following week,' someone else said.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Luke Bateman shared his love of books online. Then social media turned on him
Less than two months ago, in his first-ever TikTok video, Luke Bateman spoke to the camera from a truck in Toowoomba. The former NRL player, who also appeared on the 2023 season of The Bachelor, and who now works as a tree-logger, smiled and greeted the 'BookTok' community, saying that he's loved reading his entire life. 'I've never really had anywhere to talk about it or share those things,' he says, '... cause obviously being a male in a lot of blue-collar work'. Bateman said he hoped to speak to like-minded people about the stories he loves – fantasy, in particular – and find recommendations. For the unfamiliar, the BookTok community first boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when readers started to use TikTok to discuss their favourite books and authors. Colleen Hoover, for example, found herself on the New York Times bestseller list after her novel, It Ends With Us, gained traction via BookTok. To date, the BookTok hashtag has hundreds of billions of views and tens of millions of posts. It has also reshaped the publishing industry. Naturally, brands, publishers and authors have pivoted to focus on infiltrating the space as part of their marketing campaigns in the hope of going viral and seeing sales skyrocket. Bateman's first post quickly racked up 2 million views and within weeks, the former footy star had become a poster child for BookTok, amassing 150,000 followers and launching a book club with close to 6000 members. Loading Then in late May, Bateman posted something a little different. Trading in the front seat of his truck for a cosy room in front of a bookcase, he announced that he'd signed a two-book deal with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Australia. 'It's a childhood dream come true,' he said. 'I've wanted to be an author my entire life.' He became emotional, thanking the community for giving him the opportunity 'to put my heart on the page for all of you'. But as is often the way with social media, it didn't take long for the tide to turn. 'This is literally enraging. Absolutely unbelievable.'
The Age
5 hours ago
- The Age
Luke Bateman shared his love of books online. Then social media turned on him
Less than two months ago, in his first-ever TikTok video, Luke Bateman spoke to the camera from a truck in Toowoomba. The former NRL player, who also appeared on the 2023 season of The Bachelor, and who now works as a tree-logger, smiled and greeted the 'BookTok' community, saying that he's loved reading his entire life. 'I've never really had anywhere to talk about it or share those things,' he says, '... cause obviously being a male in a lot of blue-collar work'. Bateman said he hoped to speak to like-minded people about the stories he loves – fantasy, in particular – and find recommendations. For the unfamiliar, the BookTok community first boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when readers started to use TikTok to discuss their favourite books and authors. Colleen Hoover, for example, found herself on the New York Times bestseller list after her novel, It Ends With Us, gained traction via BookTok. To date, the BookTok hashtag has hundreds of billions of views and tens of millions of posts. It has also reshaped the publishing industry. Naturally, brands, publishers and authors have pivoted to focus on infiltrating the space as part of their marketing campaigns in the hope of going viral and seeing sales skyrocket. Bateman's first post quickly racked up 2 million views and within weeks, the former footy star had become a poster child for BookTok, amassing 150,000 followers and launching a book club with close to 6000 members. Loading Then in late May, Bateman posted something a little different. Trading in the front seat of his truck for a cosy room in front of a bookcase, he announced that he'd signed a two-book deal with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Australia. 'It's a childhood dream come true,' he said. 'I've wanted to be an author my entire life.' He became emotional, thanking the community for giving him the opportunity 'to put my heart on the page for all of you'. But as is often the way with social media, it didn't take long for the tide to turn. 'This is literally enraging. Absolutely unbelievable.'
