Netflix has secretly been giving a number of subscribers early access to the streaming platform's movies and TV shows months before they are made available to the public.
As reported by Variety, Netflix has been reaching out to a small number of its members for approximately the last six months before then inviting them to provide feedback on any films or TV series they watch via an exclusive panel. The streamer then takes on board the feedback and potentially makes any adjustments to its content as a result, similar to how other studios operate.
The offer is only available to subscribers in the US at this time, however, it's quite an exciting proposition for anyone that gets picked. Having the chance to watch the likes of Stranger Things 4, Bridgerton or The Umbrella Academy months in advance is easy to make friends or family insanely jealous. Unfortunately, anyone who takes part isn't able to share details until the content rolls out publicly and needs to sign an NDA (nondisclosure agreement).
T3 has reached out to Netflix for comment.
"We at Netflix are building a community of members to view and give feedback on upcoming movies and series, and we’d like to know if you’re interested in being a part of it. It’s simple, but an incredibly important part of creating best-in-class content for you and Netflix members all around the world," reads an email sent to those lucky enough to be selected (as obtained by Variety).
Once a participant has finished watching any movies or shows, Netflix asks them to fill out a survey on "what you liked, what you didn’t, how you’d make it even better, or how likely you’d be to recommend it to friends and family." So how do you get chosen? It's not entirely clear but the email states that Netflix chooses members that "represent a range of perspectives". In other words, it's pretty random.
It's been an unusual few months for Netflix, having lost subscribers over the first few months, the company is now looking to live streaming and cracking down on password sharing to regain its financial losses.
I think personally a lot more of us would be happy if Netflix stopped cancelling shows only one or two seasons into their lifespan. The biggest of which was Space Force starring Steve Carell earlier this month, which failed to secure a third season.
