Netflix video podcasts are coming to the platform in 2026, and they’re not another reality dating experiment or a spin-off of a crime docuseries. The company is moving into podcasts. Not just audio podcasts you listen to while folding laundry, but full video podcasts you can watch the same way you’d watch a series, all under a new content banner.
This shift isn’t random. It’s the result of a partnership with Spotify that gives Netflix streaming access to some of the most popular video-based podcasts being watched in huge numbers on other platforms. Think The Ringer’s lineup, sports discussions, entertainment breakdowns, and long-form pop culture commentaries, but now included in a Netflix subscription instead of being scattered across YouTube and Spotify.
Netflix Video Podcasts Are a Response to How People Actually Watch Things
People don’t just listen to podcasts in their cars anymore. They watch them on TV while they’re cooking, scroll past clips on TikTok and YouTube, and leave the full versions playing in the background the same way they’d leave on a comfort show. Netflix has noticed.
The first slate of Netflix video podcasts is expected to roll out in early 2026, starting in the United States. Global rollout will follow once the company sees how audiences respond. No one at Netflix is pretending podcasts will replace prestige dramas, but they absolutely see them as a new way to keep viewers on the app when they want something less dramatic, something you don’t have to binge, track, or emotionally commit to.
The best part for Netflix? The content is cheaper to produce than scripted projects and has a built-in audience. Bill Simmons, The Rewatchables, The Watch: these are proven brands, not experimental titles.
What the Deal with Spotify Actually Means
This move isn’t Netflix trying to “buy” podcasting the way it once tried to dominate live comedy. It’s more of a trade. Spotify keeps the audio versions and podcast IP, while Netflix gets the full video versions with an exclusive window that could eventually pull popular podcasts off of YouTube altogether.
That matters, because YouTube currently dominates video podcasting without much competition. Netflix stepping in gives creators a second home and gives fans a single place to stream shows instead of jumping between apps.
The deal is also a sign to creators: if your podcast works on camera, Netflix is now an option. And not just for clips, but for the full show and the paycheck behind it.
What It Means for Viewers
If you already subscribe to Netflix, video podcasts won’t replace the type of shows you already watch. They’ll sit alongside them, filling the gaps. Netflix wants to stop losing casual-viewing time to YouTube and TikTok, giving you more options comparable but better than doom-scrolling.
There’s also a comfort factor. Talk-based content works for background streaming, and it keeps people inside the platform longer. You don’t need a recap or plot summaries. Just press play.
And Netflix wins every time a user doesn’t switch apps.
Why Are Netflix Video Podcasts a Bigger Deal Than They Sound
Netflix has spent the last few years making it clear it doesn’t want to be a traditional streaming service. It tested live events, dipped into games, added mobile-only content, and built its own advertising tier. The addition of Netflix video podcasts is another step toward an all-day media destination instead of a “what do you want to stream tonight” app.
And with other streamers tightening budgets or walking away from risky content models, Netflix is learning into formats that cost less, scale faster, and work internationally. It’s a quiet expansion in a bold direction.