Happy Saturday, y’all 👋.

Netflix made several moves this week that signal a broader expansion of what lives inside its subscription.

Alongside Ted Sarandos’ comments in the Wall Street Journal about growth and engagement, Netflix announced deals that bring podcasts from Barstool Sports and iHeartMedia onto the platform.

Taken together, these moves mark a clear expansion of Netflix’s core offering.

Let’s get into it.

Driving the news: Netflix is paying Barstool Sports eight figures per year to distribute podcasts, while also partnering with iHeartMedia to bring established podcast franchises onto the service. Both deals followed a Wall Street Journal interview in which co-CEO Ted Sarandos reiterated Netflix’s focus on scale, subscriber growth, and long-term engagement rather than short-term cultural spikes.

Netflix has long mixed formats, from films and series to stand-up comedy, reality TV, and unscripted franchises. What’s notable about this moment is not experimentation, but formalization. Podcasts are being folded into the service itself, treated as part of the same content ecosystem that supports Netflix’s film and television slate.

The stakes: By broadening what counts as core content, Netflix increases the number of reasons subscribers have to open the app and stay engaged between major releases. This approach emphasizes continuity and habit, reinforcing Netflix’s position as a service designed for regular use rather than occasional visits tied to tentpole premieres.

The friction: Podcasts operate on a different cadence than traditional series. They are more frequent, more conversational, and often built around familiarity rather than spectacle. Not every subscriber will engage with them in the same way they do scripted shows, and the risk of clutter is real. But Netflix appears comfortable absorbing that tension as it expands the range of content its subscription supports.

Where this leads: If successful, podcasts become another steady layer of programming inside Netflix, filling gaps between releases and extending time spent on the platform without requiring viewers to leave the service. Over time, they also create more pathways for ideas and formats to move into film and television.

The bigger picture: As competition for attention intensifies, the advantage increasingly belongs to platforms that can expand what their subscription includes without fracturing the experience. Netflix’s latest moves suggest it sees its product not as a fixed catalog, but as an evolving definition of what belongs inside the service.

For everything else, see below 👇:

Platforms

TikTok US Unit Reportedly Signs Deal With Oracle-Led Investor Group
TikTok’s U.S. operations are said to be nearing a deal with an investor group led by Oracle as negotiations continue around ownership and governance. — (Andrew Hutchinson for Social Media Today) — Link

Instagram’s Adam Mosseri on TV, AI slop, and how to beat TikTok
Instagram’s chief explains how the company is thinking about video, artificial intelligence, and competition with TikTok. — (Ben Smith and Max Tani for Semafor) — Link

YouTube Is Hiding the Dislike Button Under “Not Interested”
YouTube has quietly changed how users signal negative feedback, folding dislikes into its “Not Interested” system. — (Sam Gutelle for TubeFilter) — Link

AI

OpenAI Updates ChatGPT’s Warmth and Enthusiasm
OpenAI says it is adjusting how ChatGPT communicates, with changes focused on tone, warmth, and user interaction. — (Emma Roth for The Verge) — Link

The Race to Build the World’s Best Friend
ChatGPT’s success is not just about smarter models. It’s about personality. —(Stephen Witt for The New York Times) — Link

People Are Paying to Get Their Chatbots High on Drugs
Users are experimenting with AI chatbots by prompting them to simulate altered states, raising questions about boundaries and behavior. — (Mattha Busby for WIRED) — Link

Brand

Top CMOs Dish on 2025 and How They’re Preparing for 2026
Chief marketing officers share how shifting platforms, budgets, and consumer behavior are shaping their plans for the year ahead. — (Jeff Beer for Fast Company) — Link

Why Brands Are Still Showing Up on Roblox
Despite less hype, brands continue to invest in Roblox as a place to reach younger audiences and test new formats. — (Zofia Zwieglinska for Digiday) — Link

Why Brands Are Going “Unhinged” on TikTok — and Winning Big
Brands are embracing looser, more chaotic creative strategies on TikTok as the platform continues to reward authenticity and speed. — (Mark Wilson for Fast Company) — Link

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