Podcasts? TV Talk Shows? Netflix Just Hopes They’re Hits.
The streamer’s first batch of podcasts, including “The Pete Davidson Show,” have brought back metaphysical concerns regarding the medium’s definition. What does Netflix mean by “podcast”? The original programs it began rolling out last month — including the comedy interview podcast “The Pete Davidson Show” and the sports podcast “The White House With Michael Irvin” — are not available in audio form, nor on podcast players. They joined a slew of well-known video chat podcasts that had been licensed from other companies.
All of them appear to feature two or more people conversing in a studio with visible microphones. (In point of fact, the new icon that the streamer uses to indicate podcast content is just an image of a microphone.) Netflix’s embrace of video podcasting, a major escalation of its rivalry with YouTube, is both a lifeline to a certain sector of the industry and a further wrinkle in podcasting’s long-running identity crisis. Originally built for audio consumption, the medium’s biggest hits — including those recognized at the Golden Globes in January — increasingly resemble the televised radio broadcasts and network talk shows of the last century.
Even some podcast hosts who are now available on Netflix are having trouble comprehending the new circumstances. “Podcasting is an audio medium — the video portion is just a component of it,” said Charlamagne Tha God, a co-host of the radio show and podcast “The Breakfast Club,” who called himself a “podcast purist.” Charlamagne stated that he prefers to refer to the Netflix version of his show as a “vodcast,” despite the fact that “The Breakfast Club” was one of several podcasts from networks iHeartMedia, The Ringer, and Barstool Sports that Netflix added last month. With lavishly appointed sets shot with high-resolution cameras, Netflix’s original shows are slightly more telegenic than the typical YouTube podcast.
On “The White House,” Irvin, the former National Football League wide receiver, hosts animated postgame discussions with professional athletes in an opulent white parlor between a bar and a pool table. On “Bridgerton: The Official Podcast,” another Netflix original that recently introduced video, the host Alison Hammond and stars of the hit costume drama discuss the newest season in plush emerald green chairs set in front of an immersive blue-screen image of the Bridgerton estate.
Of the new series, Davidson’s, shot in a minimalist garage set at his home in New York, is the most visually inventive. Its content echoes bro-friendly predecessors like “The Joe Rogan Experience” and “This Past Weekend With Theo Von.” (From the premiere, with the song “Remember when we went to that after party with the furry walls, dude?” featuring the musician MGK) However, hidden microphones, dynamic lighting, and sophisticated camera movements—some of which are hand-held—give it a subtly cinematic visual style that might appeal to subscribers who are accustomed to higher production values. There does not appear to be a single house style imposed by the company.
The co-host and executive producer of “The White House,” Brandon Marshall, a former NFL player, stated that he had taken a relatively minimalist approach with the podcast to emphasize that it is not typical Netflix fare. “When you turn on your Netflix, I want you to be able to tell the difference between a podcast and a studio show with a billion-dollar budget,” Marshall said. A podcast is a completely different thing. The way I’m approaching it is to lean into that, to actually dumb it down more.”
Netflix’s spokesperson declined to comment for this article. On an earnings call in January, Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-chief executive, said: “We think about video podcasts like a modern talk show. But instead of having a single brand-defining show, you have hundreds of them.”
Netflix announced its foray into podcasting last October, with an agreement to bring several Spotify-owned video podcasts — including “The Bill Simmons Podcast” and “The Big Picture” — to the platform. Those podcasts, like the others Netflix has licensed, are also available in audio versions on podcast players. Sarandos stated on the earnings call that the company had been “super pleased” with the initial response from customers and that additional originals were on the way. Jen Sargent, the former chief executive of Wondery, an Amazon-owned podcast network, said Netflix’s strategy is an inexpensive way to increase its share of household viewing time.
“More than getting into podcasts, they’re trying to defend their hold on attention in the living room,” she said. “They are purchasing frequency at a price that is lower than prestige television.” Whereas Netflix has been willing to pay more than $10 million per episode for a prestige television show, seasons of which are typically released in binge drops, it can pay a small fraction of that amount for a podcast that will keep viewers coming back for new episodes multiple times per week.
The more frequent publishing cadence may help it capture audiences who are interested in topical news and culture programming, a demographic the company has struggled to win over in the past, including via a string of short-lived late-night talk show experiments hosted by comedians like Chelsea Handler and Norm Macdonald.
Podcasts could also fuel Netflix’s nascent ad tier, introduced in 2022, which generated $1.5 billion in revenue last year (out of total revenue of $42.5 billion) and the company projects will bring in $3 billion this year. If its shows are a hit, Netflix could charge advertisers a premium rate for host endorsements.
The distinction, or lack thereof, between Netflix’s original video podcasts and the conventional TV talk shows they are emulating has caused some confusion about how or whether the shows will be covered by Hollywood unions. SAG-AFTRA made the announcement earlier this month that “The Pete Davidson Show” had recently signed a contract with SAG-AFTRA, the actor’s union, under its podcasts contract.
A lawyer who represents both podcasters and talk show hosts, Adam Cooper, stated that he saw no significant distinction between Davidson’s video podcast and a conventional network talk show. Although SAG-AFTRA covers both types of programs, a studio would typically pay less for a podcast agreement with lower pay minimums than for a talk show agreement. “These podcasts are effectively just talk shows by another name,” Cooper said. “At the end of the day, it’s two people sitting around and talking to one another.”
The number of people who watch podcasts on their televisions has been growing for years. In October of last year, YouTube claims that its users watched over 700 million hours of podcasts on at-home devices, a 75% increase from the previous year. According to Nielsen data from the beginning of the previous year, YouTube overtook more conventional broadcasters like Netflix to become the most watched TV provider overall for the first time.
The arrival of Netflix could trigger the next evolution of the podcasting industry if other TV streamers like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV or HBO Max follow suit. In order to reach new audiences on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, a lot of podcasters have already transformed their audio-only stores into video studios. They may now need to compete with Hollywood fare more directly. Josh Lindgren, head of the podcast department at the talent agency CAA, who represents numerous podcast clients who have agreements with Netflix, stated, “Podcasts have always met consumers where they are.”
“In 2016, that meant meeting you on your commute. It will mean meeting you in your living room in 2026. Podcasters who have endured a turbulent few years, including a boom-and-bust cycle caused by excessive spending from Spotify and Amazon and a sharp decline in advertising, welcome the injection of investment. It follows the inaugural best podcast award at the Golden Globes, which went to “Good Hang With Amy Poehler,” a video podcast hosted by the former “Parks and Recreation” star.
“Podcasters are the true stars right now,” Charlamagne Tha God said. “People trust them because they are genuine talent.”
