At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone announced the streaming service is expanding into immersive and interactive experiences, beginning with real-time voting. This move introduces a new method for the streamer to increase engagement by allowing audiences of live shows to interact as they watch.
Viewers will be able to vote while watching live content to directly influence the outcome of what they are seeing on their television or mobile device. Netflix began testing real-time voting on its live cooking show, Dinner Time Live with David Chang, in August. The functionality will next be rolled out to the reboot of the talent competition series Star Search, which is returning to television on Netflix next year after being off the air for twenty years.
Stone explained that while watching Star Search at home, a viewer will be able to use their TV or mobile phone to cast a vote that can advance or eliminate contestants. She described this as an early example of how content can become more interactive over time, connecting television and mobile devices. The goal is to make a Netflix subscriber feel like they are part of the story, able to influence the storyline and feel immersed in the experience.
Viewers will see on-screen prompts and have a limited amount of time to rate performances. If someone rewinds the stream or is not watching live, they may miss the voting window entirely. During the test on Dinner Time Live with David Chang, viewers voted on preferences like tuna fish versus grilled cheese, or whether soups are better than salads. The results of these votes were then displayed on the screen for everyone to see.
Netflix reports it observed consistent engagement from one episode to the next during its early testing of real-time voting. The company believes this signals strong potential for more interactive entertainment in the future. The streaming service is focused on developing more ways for viewers to feel involved in their content, which is why it is working to enable real-time responsiveness. As Netflix faces growing competition from other streaming platforms, the company likely hopes this new interactive functionality will create a shared, community-driven viewing experience for its members.
This is not the first time Netflix has explored real-time voting. The service previously tested interactive viewer polls during its reality television shows Too Hot to Handle and Love Is Blind. Beyond live television, Netflix is also concentrating on real-time responsiveness for other formats like its new Party Games for television, and eventually for podcasts. This allows users to engage with what is happening in the moment.
Stone also mentioned that cloud gaming introduces a similar type of interaction. She highlighted new living room party games launching in the fourth quarter of this year, with more to follow next year, such as Boggle. These games are played on a television screen with friends and family using their mobile phones locally. This represents another avenue for creating more immersive and fun in-the-moment content, in addition to the company’s traditional film and television offerings.
Also announced was the launch of immersive experiences on the Netflix homepage. The company says these will bring its content to life through animation and dynamic special effects. The first of these is a new Halloween Collection immersive experience. In the future, the company will debut a Holiday Collection in December, followed by more IP-driven experiences, such as one based on Bridgerton.