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Netflix is further expanding the mix of content available on its platform through licensing partnerships with a range of top publishers, including Variety and other brands in Penske Media’s PMX unit, as well as BuzzFeed
Studios, Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, People Inc. and Tastemade.
The deal calls for Netflix to carry a selection of top video content from the print and digital publishing groups starting Aug. 3. The streaming giant has teamed with prominent outlets that produce news, feature, lifestyle and how-to video content that complements Netflix’s vast menu of scripted and unscripted material available to its subscribers in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Among the Variety-produced series to be featured are the popular “How Well Do They Know?” which challenges actors, musicians and others to identify their dialogue or lyrics from past performances. Netflix plans to program a range of genres and formats and episode lengths ranging from 2-3 minutes to 20 minutes or more.
The goal is to “offer new ways to discover travel inspiration, cooking ideas, fashion trends, celebrity profiles, home and gardening tips, viral conversations, and more,” Netflix said in announcing the “fan-favorite” content push. Other PMX brands represented in the licensing deal include Billboard, Eater, Indiewire, Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter.
“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 John Derderian, Netflix’s VP of animation series and kids & family TV. “These partnerships help us deepen fandom and create more ways for members to carry those stories with them throughout their day.”
The licensing pact comes as Netflix is steadily diversifying its lineup with video games, podcasts and live events. Variety has significantly expanded its slate of video and social video content in recent years.
Publishing brands represented in the deal also include:
- BuzzFeed Studios: A*Pop, BuzzFeed Celeb, Cocoa Butter, Pero Like and Tasty
- Condé Nast: Allure, Architectural Digest (AD), Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, Epicurious, Glamour, House & Garden, Self, Teen Vogue, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wired and World of Interiors
- Hearst Magazines: Cosmopolitan, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Women’s Health, Town & Country, Delish and Good Housekeeping
- People Inc.: Entertainment Weekly, Food & Wine, InStyle, People, Travel + Leisure
- Tastemade
Among the programs covered by the pact are:
- BuzzFeed Celeb’s “30 Questions”
- Vanity Fair’s “Lie Detector”
- AD’s “Walking Tour”
- Elle’s “Where is the Lie”
- Harper’s Bazaar’s “Burning Questions”
- Billboard’s “24 Hrs With”
- People’s “My Life in Pictures”
- Travel + Leisure’s “Travel Unfiltered”
- Tastemade’s “Struggle Meals”
- Variety’s “How Well Do They Know?”
(Pictured top: Actor Keke Palmer in a guest appearance on Variety‘s “How Well Do They Know Their Lines?” series in March)
