Netflix is doing it live

Netflix is investing big into content this year, and even as it’s scooping up established YouTubers like Mark Rober and Salish Matter, it’s trying to set itself apart from the platform that made them stars.

Netflix executives (lookin’ at you, Ted Sarandos) have spent years trying to paint their platform as a cut above YouTube. But YouTube now commands the lion’s share of TV watch time in the U.S. and U.K., and will still lead in eyeballs if Netflix closes its ~$83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

In a fight for audience attention, Netflix has expanded into new arenas like podcasting, is doing larger encompassing deals with digital talent, and now is doubling down on live events–in sports, IRL, and beyond.

Here at Tubefilter, we’ve been keeping an eye on creators grounding their digital fandoms in IRL experiences. MrBeast may have caught some splashy attention with his (temporary) theme park in Saudi Arabia, but creators like Chad Wild Clay and Vy Qwaint, Unspeakable, and Dude Perfect have also either opened their own (permanent) parks or are in the process of doing so.

Then there are other long-term installations like Sam & Colby‘s escape room in Los Angeles, plus short events like Salish Matter’s crowded Sephora launch at the American Dream mall. A decade ago, most creators would’ve looked to events like VidCon as their time to host meet-and-greets; now they’re running their own real-world meetups and experiences whenever they want.

Netflix has also extended its reach into IRL events. Late last year, after testing the waters by hosting a few pop-ups themed around new season drops for its IPs (mostly Stranger Things), the streamer announced Netflix House, which it describes as a “permanent, year-round fan destination where you can explore, taste, play, and shop your favorite shows and movies IRL.”

Locations are currently open in Dallas and Philadelphia, with themed installations for IPs like Stranger Things, Squid Game, One Piece, and Wednesday. A future location is planned for Las Vegas.

In addition to connecting with fans in real life, Netflix is also hoping to catch them in real time

.

On Jan. 25, Netflix drew over 6 million people with a livestream of famed free solo climber Alex Honnold scaling Taipei 101 with zero safety gear.

This follows its overall push into live sports–a push that became concrete in 2024, when it signed a deal to pay $5 billion for 10 years of rights to WWE‘s long-running live show Raw. Since then, Netflix has aired Raw, and has also picked up other exclusive non-WWE events, like the Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua fight last year.

Outside of sports, Netflix is in live talk shows (Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney), live talent shows (Star Search), and live episodes of some podcasts (namely The Bill Simmons Podcast).

Honnold’s daring 90-minute climb was new ground for it, though–and judging by viewcount, new ground that paid off.

“Live streaming taps into the same psychology that made social video and creator culture explode,” Vikrant Mathur, co-founder of video distribution/AVOD company Future Today, told eMarketer. “People want to feel like they’re there as it happens, not just consuming a finished product.”

That could be a change for Netflix, where viewers are almost always consuming a finished product–often in week-by-week chunks.

Kenneth Suh, Chief Strategy Officer at ad platform Nexxen, noted that these live events can “act as discovery engines,” driving more subscribers to Netflix and sending them looking for similar programming once the livestream wraps.

“The more frequent and more varied live events streamers produce, the wider the door opens to advertisers looking to reach viewers on adjacent, relevant content,” he said.

We’re sure Netflix always wants to bring in more marketer money, but what we’re really seeing here is a platform expanding rapidly into as many areas as possible in the face of ever-growing competition. With all the money Netflix plans to spend over the next 12 months, 2026 could be a make-or-break year for it–and it, of course, wants to give itself the best shot at success.