Netflix has struck licensing deals with a range of digital publishers, including BuzzFeed Studios, Condé Nast and Penske Media, to carry some of their video programming on its platform.
The new partnerships, which will begin on August 3 in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, will span both licensed archival footage and ongoing series across genres including fashion, food, travel, wellness, home improvement and entertainment.
The streamer also agreed deals with Hearst Magazine, Tastemade and People as it looks to find new ways to boost engagement on its platform, with the new videos ranging from three to 20 minutes.
The agreements include video content from Penske Media-owned publications Billboard, Eater, Indiewire, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety; Hearst Magazines’ Cosmopolitan, Elle, Women’s Health and Town & Country; and People Inc’s Entertainment Weekly, Food & Wine, People and Travel + Leisure. In addition, it will carry BuzzFeed Studios’ A*Pop, BuzzFeed Celeb, Cocoa Butter, Pero Like and Tasty, as well as Tastemade’s Struggle Meals.
This marks the latest effort from Netflix to diversify beyond its longform TV and film roots. The streaming giant has been involved in the live programming space for a few years, while it has more recently struck deals with the likes of Spotify and iHeartMedia for vodcasts, and is increasingly looking to YouTube for stars and formats that can cross over to Netflix.
This latest initiative is being overseen by John Derderian, who serves as VP of animation series and kids and family TV.
“Members don’t just want to watch a show or film and move on – they want to keep exploring the stories and personalities they love long after the final credits roll,” said Derderian. “These partnerships help us deepen fandom and create more ways for members to carry those stories with them throughout their day.”
