Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone announced at TechCrunch Disrupt that the streaming service is branching out into immersive and interactive experiences, starting with real-time voting. The move marks a new way for the streamer to boost engagement, as it allows audiences of live shows to interact in real-time.
Viewers will be able to vote while watching live content to directly influence the outcome of what they’re watching on their TV or mobile device.
The streamer started testing real-time voting on its live cooking show “Dinner Time with David Chang” in August, and will roll out the functionality to its reboot of “Star Search,” a talent competition series that has been off the air for 20 years and is being brought back by Netflix next year.
“If you’re sitting at home watching ‘Star Search’ on your TV, you’ll be able to either on the TV or your mobile phone actually put in a vote that advances or doesn’t advance some of the contestants on the show,” Stone said on TechCrunch Disrupt’s main stage on Tuesday. “So it’s just a very early starting example of the ways that we think content can be more interactive over time, across devices, between TV and mobile, where a member who subscribes to Netflix can actually feel like they’re part of the story, influence the storyline, and feel immersed in that.”
Viewers will be prompted on-screen and have a limited amount of time to rate performances. If you rewind or aren’t caught up with the livestream, you may miss the voting window.
On “Dinner Time with David Chang,” viewers were asked to vote on whether they prefer tuna fish or grilled cheese. In another instance, they were asked if they think soups are better than salads. Viewers can see the results of the voting displayed on-screen.
Netflix says it saw consistent engagement episode to episode in early testing of real-time voting, which it believes signals strong potential for more interactive entertainment in the future.
The streaming service says it’s focused on building toward more ways for viewers to feel involved in what they’re watching, which is why it’s working to allow for real-time responsiveness to content. At a time when Netflix is facing mounting competition from other streaming services, the company likely hopes that its new interactive functionality will create a shared, community-driven viewing experience for its members.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time that Netflix has explored real-time voting with its content, as the streaming service previously tested interactive viewer polls during its reality TV shows, “Too Hot to Handle” and “Love is Blind.”
In addition to Live, Netflix is focused on real-time responsiveness for formats like its new Party Games for TV, and, eventually, podcasts, so users can engage with what is happening in the moment.
“There’s also a lot that’s exciting happening with cloud games, which introduces another similar kind of interaction pattern,” Stone said. “So we’ve got some fun living room party games launching in Q4 this year, more next year, for example Boggle. So it’s on your living room TV screen. You’re able to do it with friends and family locally using your mobile phone. It’s another way to think about more immersive fun in the moment content, in addition to the more traditional film and TV, which, of course, we’ll continue to hit out of the park.”
Also on Tuesday, Stone announced that Netflix is launching immersive experiences on its homepage that the company says will bring its content to life through animation and dynamic special effects. To start, Netflix has launched a new Halloween Collection immersive experience. In the future, the company will debut a Holiday Collection in December and more IP-driven ones in the future, such as a “Bridgerton” one.
