Netflix Cto Announces Interactive Real-time Voting For Live Content

Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone announced astatine TechCrunch Disrupt that nan streaming work is branching retired into immersive and interactive experiences, starting pinch real-time voting. The move marks a caller measurement for nan streamer to boost engagement, arsenic it allows audiences of unrecorded shows to interact successful real-time.

Viewers will beryllium capable to ballot while watching unrecorded contented to straight power nan result of what they’re watching connected their TV aliases mobile device.

The streamer started testing real-time voting connected its unrecorded cooking show “Dinner Time pinch David Chang” successful August, and will rotation retired nan functionality to its reboot of “Star Search,” a talent title bid that has been disconnected nan aerial for 20 years and is being brought backmost by Netflix adjacent year.

“If you’re sitting astatine location watching ‘Star Search’ connected your TV, you’ll beryllium capable to either connected nan TV aliases your mobile telephone really put successful a ballot that advances aliases doesn’t beforehand immoderate of nan contestants connected nan show,” Stone said connected TechCrunch Disrupt’s main shape connected Tuesday. “So it’s conscionable a very early starting illustration of nan ways that we deliberation contented tin beryllium much interactive complete time, crossed devices, betwixt TV and mobile, wherever a personnel who subscribes to Netflix tin really consciousness for illustration they’re portion of nan story, power nan storyline, and consciousness immersed successful that.”

Viewers will beryllium prompted on-screen and person a constricted magnitude of clip to complaint performances. If you rewind aliases aren’t caught up pinch nan livestream, you whitethorn miss nan voting window.

Image Credits:Netflix /

On “Dinner Time pinch David Chang,” viewers were asked to ballot connected whether they for illustration tuna food aliases grilled cheese. In different instance, they were asked if they deliberation soups are amended than salads. Viewers tin spot nan results of nan voting displayed on-screen.

Netflix says it saw accordant engagement section to section successful early testing of real-time voting, which it believes signals beardown imaginable for much interactive intermezo successful nan future.

The streaming work says it’s focused connected building toward much ways for viewers to consciousness progressive successful what they’re watching, which is why it’s moving to let for real-time responsiveness to content. At a clip erstwhile Netflix is facing mounting title from different streaming services, nan institution apt hopes that its caller interactive functionality will create a shared, community-driven viewing acquisition for its members.

It’s worthy noting that this isn’t nan first clip that Netflix has explored real-time voting pinch its content, arsenic nan streaming work antecedently tested interactive spectator polls during its reality TV shows, “Too Hot to Handle” and “Love is Blind.”

In summation to Live, Netflix is focused connected real-time responsiveness for formats for illustration its caller Party Games for TV, and, eventually, podcasts, truthful users tin prosecute pinch what is happening successful nan moment.

“There’s besides a batch that’s breathtaking happening pinch unreality games, which introduces different akin benignant of relationship pattern,” Stone said. “So we’ve sewage immoderate nosy surviving room statement games launching successful Q4 this year, much adjacent year, for illustration Boggle. So it’s connected your surviving room TV screen. You’re capable to do it pinch friends and family locally utilizing your mobile phone. It’s different measurement to deliberation astir much immersive nosy successful nan infinitesimal content, successful summation to nan much accepted movie and TV, which, of course, we’ll proceed to deed retired of nan park.”

Also connected Tuesday, Stone announced that Netflix is launching immersive experiences connected its homepage that nan institution says will bring its contented to life done animation and move typical effects. To start, Netflix has launched a caller Halloween Collection immersive experience. In nan future, nan institution will debut a Holiday Collection successful December and much IP-driven ones successful nan future, specified arsenic a “Bridgerton” one.