Netflix strikes licensing deal with major digital publishers
July 8, 2026 13.00 Europe/London By Julian Clover


Netflix is expanding beyond traditional TV and film by licensing short-form video from some of the world’s biggest digital publishers, as it looks to keep subscribers watching for longer and compete more directly with platforms such as YouTube.

From August 3, subscribers in the United States, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand will be able to watch hundreds of videos from publishers including BuzzFeed Studios, Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, People Inc., Tastemade and Penske Media’s PMX division, which includes Variety, Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Indiewire and Eater.

The agreement covers both existing popular formats and newly commissioned episodes. Programmes joining Netflix include Architectural Digest’s Open Door, Vanity Fair’s Lie Detector Test, Hot Ones, Bon Appétit cooking shows, Variety’s celebrity interview series How Well Do They Know?, and food and lifestyle programming from Eater and Tastemade.

Netflix said the new content will allow members to discover “fan-favourite videos from around the Internet without having to leave Netflix.”

The videos, typically between three and 20 minutes long, span entertainment, food, travel, fashion, design, wellness and lifestyle. Publishers will continue to make the content available on their own websites and YouTube channels, with the Netflix agreement providing an additional distribution window rather than replacing existing platforms.

The move represents Netflix’s latest attempt to broaden the types of content available on its service as viewing habits continue to evolve. Industry analysts see the deal as a direct response to YouTube’s growing dominance on connected TVs, where short-form and creator-led programming is attracting increasing amounts of viewing time.

For publishers, the agreement provides access to Netflix’s global subscriber base while opening a new licensing revenue stream for content originally created for digital platforms. Netflix indicated that additional publishing partners could be added in the future.