Netflix takes on TikTok and YouTube Shorts with quick clips from magazines and media giants

SAN FRANCISCO, July 8 — Netflix is taking another page from TikTok’s playbook.

The streaming giant is diving deeper into short-form video by signing licensing deals with some of the biggest names in US media to bring bite-sized news, lifestyle, celebrity and how-to content onto its platform.

According to entertainment outlet Variety, Netflix has struck agreements with publishers including Penske Media, BuzzFeed Studios, Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines and People Inc.

Variety, which is owned by Penske Media and is among the publishers involved in the deal, first reported the agreements.

Hearst later confirmed the partnership with Netflix to AFP, but did not provide further details.

The new content – ranging from clips of around two minutes to episodes lasting 20 minutes or longer – is expected to begin rolling out on August 3 for subscribers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

The move brings familiar magazine and media brands such as Vanity Fair, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Bon Appétit, People and Variety to Netflix.

Among the featured series will be Vanity Fair’s Lie Detector, BuzzFeed’s 30 Questions and Variety’s Know Their Lines?

“Members don’t just want to watch a show or film and move on — they want to keep exploring the stories and personalities they love long after the final credits roll,” said John Derderian, Netflix’s vice president of animation series and kids and family TV.

The publisher deals come as Netflix faces growing competition from platforms that have transformed how people consume video.

Research firm Digital i, cited by TechCrunch, found YouTube overtook Netflix in average daily viewing time in 2025.

TikTok had already begun closing the gap in 2024, with US adults spending almost as much time on the app as they did on Netflix, according to eMarketer.

Netflix has already acknowledged the challenge by redesigning its app to include a TikTok-style vertical video feed.

It has also branched out into video games, podcasts and live events as it looks to keep viewers engaged.

Internal data reported by Bloomberg suggests viewers are increasingly abandoning popular shows before reaching a second season, raising questions about whether Netflix’s signature binge-watching model is losing ground to the shorter viewing habits shaped by TikTok and YouTube. — AFP