Netflix Bribes Podcasters With Millions To Kick YouTube Out

KEY POINTS

•Netflix is planning a significant expansion into video podcasts, aiming to compete with YouTube in 2026.
•The company intends to launch with 50 to 75 shows, potentially increasing to 200 over time.
•Led by Lauren Smith, Netflix is reaching out to top talent agencies for licensing and original content.

Netflix, spotting YouTube hogging the video podcast throne, is rolling out what might be the entertainment equivalent of a hostile takeover in early 2026. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos and VP Lauren Smith are shaking Hollywood talent trees to grab 50-75 shows initially—maybe 200 eventually—covering true crime, sports, and comedy. They've dangled $7-8 million a year to podcasters, but with a catch: take your shows off YouTube’s free stage, lose direct fan connection, and face Netflix's secretive data vault and TV-style ads, not cozy host-read pitches. Meanwhile, Spotify's Bill Simmons chillin’ on Netflix. Sounds like a bizarre podcast power play sitcom in LA.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Netflix is offering $7M+ to podcasters... if they ditch YouTube’s freebies, give up fan chats, and accept ads that feel as personal as a telemarketer. Because who doesn’t want to watch your favorite podcaster trapped in a paywall fortress with only ‘TV-style’ ads for company?

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Netflix’s new podcast plan: pay millions to steal your show, but deny you the fan love and data stalking that made you rich. It’s like buying a mansion but banning Netflix from your Wi-Fi.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Podcasters weighing $7M offers from Netflix: ‘Give up YouTube’s perks, lose fans, and embrace corporate ads!’ It’s like trading a loud, messy party for a stuffy, empty ballroom you have to pay to enter.

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