Will you be one of the lucky thousands to join its Preview Club?
Streaming giant Netflix had to make some big calls in the wake of massive subscriber losses earlier this year: a less expensive ad-supported tier launched recently while curbs on account sharing are set to kick in next year. Those moves weren’t popular with the masses, but the company has raked back some growth for Q3. But for all the sticks it’s doled out in 2022, there are signs it may have a few carrots on the way. We’re now learning some details on one of those potential perks.
Much like conventional Hollywood studios, Netflix has a preview program for which it tests upcoming releases with. This program, known as the Preview Club, currently has 2,000 subscribers participating. But, as The Wall Street Journal reports, Netflix may be looking to drastically expand the club with the hope of driving more usable feedback to turn around and shape future projects. While it’s unclear exactly how many more users will be able to join the Preview Club, sources claim “tens of thousands of users” worldwide will be roped in beginning early next year.
The existence of the Preview Club was confirmed by Variety in May, but the program has actually been in operation for over a year. The Journal highlights how the platform’s breakaway hit, “Don’t Look Up,” benefited from subscriber feedback with the initial batch of previewers reportedly finding the film “too serious.” The creators reportedly took this feedback — under no particular obligation from Netflix — and decided to include more humor in the film.
The company is spending $17 billion next year on content production and acquisition, slightly less than the $18 billion from this year. That money will go towards video games to scratch Netflix’s recently-cultivated cloud gaming itch as well as its big-ticket movies and serials. Achieving more big hits and more hits overall will be crucial to delivering sustained profits.
Side note: Netflix also collects feedback on pre-release titles from its employees and also sends it to producers.
