Netflix is reportedly set to let tens of thousands of subscribers preview new movies and TV shows in order to receive feedback prior to wide release.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the streamer now plans to expand beyond its current group of 2,000-plus US-based users, known as the "Netflix Preview Club," to include tens of thousands of subscribers around the globe.
Netflix previously allowed a small group of US subscribers to preview Adam McKay's Don't Look Up before its 2021 release. The initial consensus was that the disaster comedy was "too serious," and the team behind the film used the feedback to "dial up the comedic element" and "make it appeal to a broader audience." The film was ultimately nominated for four Academy Awards and broke a streaming record for weekly viewing hours.
The Preview Club also provided early feedback for The Sandman, which reportedly prompted the creators to make changes prior to release – with said changes seeing a significant improvement in the show's completion rate.
This plan echoes back to an earlier report that said the streaming giant planned to focus more on quality over quantity, taking more time to craft bigger and better movies that are released at a less frequent pace. On Netflix's earnings call, co-chief Ted Sarandos cited Don't Look up, Red Notice, and The Adam Project as examples of big-budget Netflix films that have been globally popular and well-received.
