Video podcasts are having a serious moment, and Netflix just made a move that is reshaping the entire streaming landscape. The streaming giant announced they are partnering with Spotify to bring a selection of video podcasts to their platform. Not just another content deal. More like a swing at YouTube’s growing dominance in video consumption.
Here is the fascinating part. Netflix is betting that video podcasts are the next evolution of streaming content. They are bringing 16 distinct podcast properties to their platform, covering everything from sports analysis to true crime deep dives. The timing lands right as video podcasts have been doubling their presence in top podcast charts year over year since 2022, Tom’s Guide reports.
Why this partnership makes perfect sense for both platforms
Look at the lanes each company already owns. Netflix operates with over 300 million subscribers globally, while Spotify serves more than 690 million active users, including over 275 million premium subscribers. Together, these companies command more than 575 million paying subscribers. That combined reach matters when YouTube keeps gobbling up viewing hours.
For Netflix, this targets a growing competitive threat that has been quietly eating away at its dominance. YouTube led US streaming viewership in August with 13.1 percent, compared to Netflix at 8.6 percent, according to C21 Media. Video podcasts give Netflix a cost‑effective way to generate regular, sticky programming that nudges people to open the app more often, as explained by Vulture.
From Spotify’s side, the deal validates their push into video podcasts and puts them in front of Netflix’s living room audience. They reported over 430,000 video podcasts hosted on the platform with more than 350 million people streaming video content, according to The Star. PPC Land also reports that revenue from video podcasts jumped 300 percent in January 2025 after the launch of Spotify's Partner Program.
What content is actually coming to Netflix?
The initial lineup signals how Netflix plans to serve different fandoms. The 16 shows span sports, culture, lifestyle, and true crime from Spotify Studios and The Ringer. Sports leads the pack with nine shows, including heavy hitters like The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Zach Lowe Show, and various Ringer properties covering NBA, NFL, F1, and fantasy football, according to PC Mag Australia.
Culture and lifestyle bring five shows, with familiar names like The Rewatchables, The Big Picture, and The Dave Chang Show. True crime fans get two offerings: Conspiracy Theories and Serial Killers.
What is missing says a lot about the test‑and‑learn approach. The Joe Rogan Experience, Spotify’s most‑listened‑to podcast globally, will not be part of the initial rollout. The deal also excludes other major titles, such as Good Hang With Amy Poehler, as noted by Yahoo Entertainment. However, Spotify has indicated that additional podcasts could be added later, according to The Independent.
These omissions suggest both companies want a controlled trial first, then a broader push if the audience shows up.
How the distribution model actually works
Here is the model in plain terms. Video podcasts will appear simultaneously on both Netflix and Spotify, not as exclusives. So if you want full access wherever you watch, you will keep subscriptions aligned with your habits.
A bigger shakeup hits YouTube. Some outlets report that episodes of these shows will no longer appear in full there starting in early 2026. Only select clips remain on YouTube, while audio versions continue across various podcast platforms.
That challenges YouTube’s grip on video podcast viewing. Today, YouTube accounts for 81 percent of video podcast viewership compared to Spotify’s 12 percent, according to figures from Fandom Wire. Pulling full episodes pushes fans to choose, free clips on YouTube or full episodes behind paid subscriptions.
What this means for the future of podcast consumption
The partnership marks what Roman Wasenmüller, VP and Head of Podcasts at Spotify, calls a new chapter for podcasting. The audience is already there. Forty‑seven percent of Americans aged 12 and older listened to a podcast in the last month as of 2024, about 135 million monthly listeners. And 51 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 and older has watched a video podcast, according to Fandom Wire.
Platform preferences are shifting, too. YouTube is the most popular podcast platform with a 31 percent market share. In the U.S., 33 percent of monthly podcast listeners prefer YouTube, 27 percent prefer Spotify, and 15 percent choose Apple Podcasts.
The generational signal is even louder. Among Gen Z listeners, 84 percent of monthly podcast listeners consume podcasts with a video component, according to Cohost Podcasting. If the future is visual, Netflix arriving now feels right on cue.
The partnership launches in the United States in early 2026, with international expansion planned for later that year and beyond. That runway gives both companies time to tune the product and widen the slate before going global.
The bigger picture: streaming wars get more complex
The ripple effects go beyond stuffing a few talk shows into Netflix. We are watching the lines blur in real time, traditional streaming video, podcasts, and social platforms bleeding into each other. Netflix’s move into podcasting fits a broader plan to become a comprehensive entertainment platform, similar to traditional broadcast TV.
For creators and podcast networks, this is a new distribution lane, and it could reshape how shows are funded and monetized. What happens next depends on whether people want their favorite podcasts sitting next to Bridgerton and WWE Raw. If the rollout clicks, other streamers will take notes. Amazon Prime Video might pursue similar deals with podcast networks, while Disney+ could explore family‑friendly podcast content that complements its existing library.
This is not just Netflix trying to keep up with YouTube. It is two of the world’s largest media platforms acknowledging that the future of entertainment does not fit the old boxes. Video podcasts blend radio’s intimacy with television’s pull, and they arrive on demand, right where viewers already live. The era of platform exclusives is turning into something more layered, and maybe more interesting, for anyone willing to juggle a couple of subscriptions to follow favorite creators across formats and platforms.
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