For around a year, Netflix has solicited member feedback on its original programming before making it available to the general public. The streamer now plans to add tens of thousands of customers from all around the world early in the next year to its group of 2,000-plus previewers, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The program has been operating since May 2021 and is known as the Netflix Preview Club.
Here’s how it works: Before shows and movies are widely available on the streaming platform, a select group of viewers watch the content and then give their feedback on what they liked and didn’t like.
Similar methods have been used by other streamers to get viewer input. For example, through its “Amazon Preview” initiative, Amazon has asked select customers to assess and provide input on concepts, movies and TV pilots. Additionally, the “Hulu Brain Trust” program has allowed select users to provide input on programming after it has been released or to respond to survey questions.
Netflix also frequently tests new features on a small sample of its customers. For instance, Play Something, a shuffle-play feature that selects a movie for someone to watch based on their viewing history and watch lists, underwent extensive testing before its wider rollout last year.