Filtering Netflix’s Upcoming Titles With Certain Subscriber Groups: Report

Netflix has screened upcoming original titles with select groups of subscribers in the United States, ahead of the titles’ official release on the streaming platform, since November 2021, according to a report. Members of these groups reportedly watched “several upcoming movies and series over a period of about six months” and provided feedback via a survey, detailing what worked for them and what didn’t. The company is said to be using these entries to make changes to the title in question ahead of its launch.

According to a Variety report, an email sent by Netflix to this group of subscribers reads: “At Netflix, we are building a community of members to view and give feedback on upcoming movies and series, and we would love to hear if you’re interested in joining in. It’s simple, but it’s an incredibly important part of creating top-notch content for you and Netflix members around the world.

The report further states that Netflix selects subscribers for these comment panels so that they “represent a range of perspectives.” These subscribers would also need to sign a non-disclosure agreement to ensure confidentiality. We’ve reached out to Netflix to comment on the report and will update this article if we have a response.

Focus group testing has been a part of Hollywood and the entertainment fraternity in general for quite some time now. In fact, Netflix itself has previously tested the shuffle feature – which recommends a title to you based on what you’ve watched on the platform in the past and entries on your “to watch” list – with a subset of its subscriber base before officially launching it last year. Also, as is standard practice, he’s sharing screens of some upcoming titles with reviews ahead of their release. However, the report signifies one of the first times the company has screened content with subscribers, rather than just new software features.

There is a perception that these steps can help Netflix identify potential hits, which could help it remain a force to be reckoned with at a time when it is losing subscribers for the first time in a decade. In fact, the company recently laid off 150 employees in the United States to cut costs amid slowing revenue. It reportedly plans to add a live streaming option for certain types of content and crack the whip on password sharing in a bid to bring the situation under control.

---