Netflix expands live stream offerings

Published: 2025-05-15 01:01:49 ET NFLX

Published on 05/15/2025 at 01:01

Netflix is increasing its commitment to livestreaming, the company announced Wednesday during its annual Upfront presentation. The streaming service, which reaches more than 94 million monthly active users worldwide, is adding more and more live content to its offerings - from WWE wrestling matches and comedy shows to award ceremonies.

According to Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer at Netflix, viewers can soon look forward to new livestreams, including the highly anticipated rematch between boxers Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano on July 11. Netflix has also signed a new partnership with the NFL. As a result, it will live stream two games on Christmas Day: Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings.

In addition, Netflix will provide live coverage of the 32nd Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony on March 1, 2026. The service will also host its own live show at the end of this month, Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event.

These events are in addition to the weekly WWE broadcasts already on the platform.

During its presentation to advertisers, Netflix also highlighted the capabilities of its revamped advertising system, Netflix Ads Suite. This system further expands the possibilities for programmatic advertising. One of the new ad formats uses generative AI to automatically pair ads with matching Netflix titles.

Meanwhile, at its annual Upfront presentation, YouTube presented its latest plans for advertisers - and did so in style, with a spectacular show by Lady Gaga and appearances by popular YouTubers such as Brittany Broski and MrBeast.

The centerpiece was the introduction of a revamped interactive ad experience for Connected TV (CTV). The new shoppable TV ads allow brands to display a product feed on the right side of the screen during commercial breaks. This feed acts as a virtual shop window into which viewers can browse via their remote control. If someone selects a product, a QR code appears on the screen, leading directly to the purchase link on their smartphone.

In addition, viewers can send a link with all the products displayed to their phone at the touch of a button, allowing them to shop all at once.

The company recognizes that people are increasingly watching videos on TV while simultaneously scrolling on their phones or shopping online. By cleverly combining those behaviors, YouTube hopes to offer advertisers a powerful sales channel.

That YouTube is targeting TV screens is no coincidence. According to Nielsen figures, YouTube has been the most-watched streaming platform in the U.S. for more than two years, ahead of Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video. In the first quarter of 2025, TVs were even the most popular device on which U.S. users viewed YouTube, according to internal data.