Netflix | The Verge The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts. 2026-04-23T14:41:17+00:00 https://www.theverge.com/rss/netflix/index.xml https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/verge-rss-large_80b47e.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1 Andrew Webster <![CDATA[Netflix can’t seem to follow up its biggest shows]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=917121 2026-04-23T10:41:17-04:00 2026-04-23T10:30:00-04:00 A still from the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85.

It hasn't been that long since Stranger Things ended, but even still fans are clearly clamoring for more. The finale was overshadowed by a conspiracy about a secret episode, and an otherwise standard behind-the-scenes documentary became a hotbed for theorizing. Of course, given the scale of Stranger Things, Netflix was never going to let the franchise die completely, but its first attempt at expanding the franchise largely falls flat. Tales From '85 is a stakes-free return to Hawkins that's missing most of what made the original series such a phenomenon. And it's another example of Netflix struggling to turn its biggest shows into ongoing fr …

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]]> Jay Peters <![CDATA[Netflix embraces vertical video with major mobile app update]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=913539 2026-04-16T16:29:56-04:00 2026-04-16T16:29:56-04:00 An illustration of the Netflix logo

Netflix announced on Thursday that it will be launching a redesigned mobile app, which will include a vertical video feed, at the end of April. "This redesign will better reflect our expanding entertainment offering and make it easier for members to engage how and when they want," the company said in its Q1 2026 earnings letter to shareholders.

In Thursday's letter, the company said that the lines between "entertainment on TV and mobile devices are blurring," noting that video podcasts "over-index" on mobile. Co-CEO Greg Peters said in January that the company was planning to revamp its mobile UI as a way to "better serve the expansion of o …

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]]> Emma Roth <![CDATA[Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings is officially leaving the company]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=913201 2026-04-17T05:38:53-04:00 2026-04-16T16:23:00-04:00 A photo of Reed Hastings

Netflix cofounder and chairman Reed Hastings plans to leave the company after nearly 30 years. The news comes as part of Netflix's Q1 2026 earnings results released on Thursday, which says Hastings "will not stand for re-election to our Board when his current term expires at the Annual Meeting in June."

After cofounding Netflix in 1997, Hastings served as CEO from 1999 to 2023, when he stepped down and took on the role of chairman. "My real contribution at Netflix wasn't a single decision; it was a focus on member joy, building a culture that others could inherit and improve, and building a company that could be both beloved by members and …

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]]> Janko Roettgers <![CDATA[How Netflix made us fall in love with K-dramas]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=913101 2026-04-16T11:46:30-04:00 2026-04-16T11:30:00-04:00 A still photo from season 3 of Squid Game.

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week.

What do you get if you take a bunch of ripped, shirtless male K-pop idols in boxing gloves and have them spar in the ring until they're sweating? For Netflix: another global hit.

The streamer's K-drama Bloodhounds, now in its second season, is currently tearing up its global viewing charts. Season 2 attracted 7.4 million views last week, making it the most-watched non-English TV show worldwide on the service, and the third-most-popular show overall.

Bloodhounds is no exception …

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]]> Jay Peters <![CDATA[Netflix’s TV games get a big boost with Jackbox collection]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=909415 2026-04-09T14:25:22-04:00 2026-04-09T14:25:22-04:00
A screenshot from the PC version of Quiplash 3.

Netflix's party-focused lineup of TV games just got three excellent new additions: Jackbox's Drawful 2, Fibbage 4, and Quiplash 3, available as the Jackbox Party Essentials pack on the platform. Subscribers can access Jackbox Party Essentials at no additional cost and use their phones as controllers to play.

The Jackbox bundle seems like a natural fit for the platform; Netflix's other TV games include multiplayer party versions of Boggle and Pictionary, and people who have already played games in Jackbox's other Party Packs will be familiar with using their phone as a controller. If you get some friends together to check out Jackbox Party E …

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]]> Andrew Webster <![CDATA[Netflix is launching a new app for kids games]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=907293 2026-04-06T14:36:57-04:00 2026-04-06T13:00:00-04:00 A screenshot from the video game World of Peppa Pig.

Netflix has made family-friendly titles a key part of its current games strategy, and now it's pushing a little harder with the launch of a new app. Called Netflix Playground, the app is focused on games aimed at kids aged eight and under, and, like the rest of Netflix's gaming lineup, Playground games are included as part of a Netflix subscription, and feature no ads or in-app purchases.

Playground is available now in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, the Philippines, and New Zealand, and will be rolling out to the rest of the world on April 28th. The launch lineup primarily consists of titles based on popular kids shows like Peppa Pig and Se …

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]]> Verge Staff <![CDATA[Streaming keeps getting more expensive: all the latest price hikes]]> https://www.theverge.com/1154/streaming-service-prices-netflix-disney-hulu-peacock-max 2026-04-10T07:20:59-04:00 2026-03-26T15:13:26-04:00
There’s more good stuff to watch than ever — if you can afford it. | Image: Amazon

Death. Taxes. All your streaming services getting a little more expensive all the time. These are the new certainties in life, it seems.

Netflix has raised the cost of its subscription repeatedly in recent years. Disney Plus, Prime Video, HBO Max, Paramount Plus, Peacock — practically any service you can name — charges more per month than it did a few years ago, and many of them have introduced ad breaks. As customers cancel cable more quickly than anyone expected, the studios and distributors are looking for a way to make up the lost revenue. Good shows, live sports, and movies are more in demand — and thus more expensive — than ever.

And after a decade of spending money like it was going out of style because all investors cared about were subscriber numbers, companies are looking for any way they can to improve their bottom line. They’re cracking down on password sharing, canceling shows for the tax breaks, and even selling prized content to other platforms. But the most common strategy is simply to charge you, the viewer, more.

We’re tracking all the price increases and other changes from streaming services so you can make sure you’re only paying for what you want. (We’ll also include discounts and deals, though those seem to happen less and less.) Here’s the latest:

]]> Emma Roth <![CDATA[Netflix is raising prices again]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=901833 2026-03-26T17:24:40-04:00 2026-03-26T15:05:28-04:00 An illustration of the Netflix logo.

Netflix's prices just went up, with its cheapest, ad-supported tier now reaching $8.99 / month (up from $7.99 / month), according to an updated support page spotted earlier by Android Authority. The standard and premium plans are also getting a hike, going from $17.99 to $19.99 / month and $24.99 to $26.99 / month, respectively.

The streaming giant last raised its prices in January 2025 and has made several updates to its platform since then, including launching video podcasts, continuing a push into live events, rolling out new TV games, and revamping its interface on both its TV app and mobile. It also nearly acquired the Warner Bros. stu …

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]]> Meredith Haggerty <![CDATA[KPop Demon Hunters is getting a sequel, obviously]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=894014 2026-03-12T17:08:46-04:00 2026-03-12T14:45:32-04:00
The girl group is coming back.

Get ready to get even more K-pop, demonier, and as huntery as possible. Netflix's smash-hit, Oscar-nominated animated film KPop Demon Hunters is returning for a sequel, with the fictional Korean girl group HUNTR/X coming back to lay down pop hits and smash evil boy bands (and/or other demons).

Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans will once again direct this one, their first project in an "exclusive multiyear writing and directing partnership" with Netflix.

Seeing as the first movie was Netflix's self-reported most-popular film of all time, the company's widest theatrical release and first ever box office No. 1, nominated in both the Best Anima …

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]]> Charles Pulliam-Moore <![CDATA[Bespoke AI models are the next big thing in filmmaking]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=893538 2026-03-15T12:01:08-04:00 2026-03-12T09:56:00-04:00 Actor Ben Affleck wearing a coat over a quarter zip.

Though many AI boosters have convinced themselves that the technology can spit out films and television series whole cloth, claims of Hollywood being cooked feel very premature when you see what people are making with the most popular image/video models on the market. Models like Sora, Veo, and Runway just do not seem all that great for entertainment production.

But we're starting to see more AI firms building a new breed of generative model - ones that are designed to address creatives' needs throughout the development process while also avoiding issues like potential copyright infringement. What really sets these models apart from their …

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