Netflix is betting on podcasts to become the new daytime talk show

Summary

When you tune in to a podcast, you’re probably not opening the Netflix app – at least for now. That might change, if Netflix gets its way. The streamer signed deals with iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports this week, in addition to a recent deal with Spotify, to gain exclusive video rights to select shows. The company is also rumored to be in talks with SiriusXM. Podcasters see this as an offensive move with YouTube as the primary target. And the data provides a convincing argument. YouTube shared this week that viewers watched over 700 million hours of podcasts on living room devices (like TVs) in 2025, up from 400 million last year. “As people begin to spend less time watching traditional television, and more time watching short form or low cost, low production value content on YouTube, that might present a long term competitive threat to Netflix,” Matthew Dysart, an entertainment attorney and former head of podcast business affairs at Spotify, told TechCrunch. While podcasters might understand the motivation, not everyone is convinced about Netflix’s move. Some podcasters told TechCrunch they’re not sure there is long-term value in video podcasts, while others are worried Netflix is contributing to a podcast bubble. “They’re basically saying, ‘we want to be the king of content, and the only way we’re going to do that is if we take a swipe at YouTube,’” podcaster Ronald Young Jr. told TechCrunch. Still, Young Jr. thinks people are turning on video podcasts and letting them play in the background, noting that ESPN has been doing some version of this for much longer than we’ve been able to name it. The buzz of video podcasts When independent podcasters Mike Schubert and Sequoia Simone launched their new show “Professional Talkers” this year, they noted the buzz around video podcasts and decided to start the new show as a video-first production on YouTube and Spotify. Techcrunch event San Francisco | October 13-15, 2026 “Neither of us had done video before, so we were li...