Netflix and the End of Talk Shows: Can Video Podcasts Replace Daytime Programming?

Netflix is redefining what it means to “talk to the audience.” The streaming platform isn’t content with just offering movies and series: now it aims to become the epicenter of a new entertainment format that could displace decades of television tradition. Its latest move is clear: conquer the talk show territory through video podcasts.

This week, Netflix announced strategic partnerships with iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports, joining previous agreements with Spotify. Rumors also suggest negotiations with SiriusXM. The goal is simple but ambitious: secure exclusive video rights for selected podcast content. Experts see this move as a direct challenge mainly aimed at YouTube, which has become the stage where the new entertainment battle is unfolding.

An Ambitious Strategy: Netflix Enters the Video Podcast Business

This phenomenon isn’t accidental. YouTube just revealed figures that speak for themselves: in 2025, viewers consumed over 700 million hours of podcasts on living room devices like smart TVs. Compared to 400 million hours the previous year, the growth is exponential. This simple yet compelling data explains why Netflix and other platforms are reacting.

“As audiences spend less time watching traditional TV and more time consuming low-cost, short-form content on YouTube, Netflix faces a competitive threat it can’t ignore,” explains Matthew Dysart, entertainment lawyer and former head of podcast commercial affairs at Spotify, in an interview with TechCrunch.

The underlying logic is that midday talk shows were for generations the backbone of TV programming. Now, those same consumption habits—people seeking companionship while doing other activities—are shifting toward podcast formats. Netflix aims to position itself as the place where that massive audience can find exactly that.

YouTube Gains Ground: Why Netflix Sees a Real Threat in Podcasts

The competition with YouTube is more than a corporate rivalry. It’s a battle to define where entertainment hours will go. While YouTube allows anyone to upload and monetize podcast content, Netflix seeks to offer a curated, exclusive experience that adds value to its subscription.

This move also reflects a broader reality: screen entertainment is fragmenting. The generation that once watched “The Office” in the background while doing chores now has different options. They can easily put on a podcast as background, and if Netflix becomes the preferred destination for that, it would secure a new stream of revenue and screen time.

“If Netflix can become the place where people naturally go for background podcasts, that would be a huge strategic win,” says an industry internal analysis. The company generates around $45 billion annually, meaning it has the capital to invest in this expansion without immediate risk.

Creators Are Not Convinced: Doubts About the Future of Video in Podcasts

However, not everyone shares Netflix’s optimism. When Mike Schubert and Sequoia Simone launched their new show “Professional Talkers” in early 2026, they sparked a reflection many creators share: do podcasts really need video?

Schubert discovered something surprising. “We decided to produce the show with a video orientation from the start,” he tells TechCrunch. “But when we published one episode only in audio and then one in video, the numbers were almost identical. We asked ourselves: why spend double the time and resources if the result is the same?”

This question resonates with many independent creators. For nearly a decade, Schubert and others have cultivated audiences that prefer pure audio formats. “Who am I making this change for?” wondered Ronald Young Jr., another established podcast producer. “And the answer was simple: for executives, advertisers, those who believe video is the inevitable future.”

Paradoxically, Young Jr. notes that ESPN has been doing exactly what Netflix proposes for years: having conversational programs in video background format. But even recognizing an audience for it, many creators resist changing their approach without certainty of reward.

The Spotify Lesson: How a Company Can Break Its Own Market

Spotify’s recent history in the podcast world offers a cautionary lesson. The streaming platform spent billions acquiring tech startups and production studios, aiming to control the entire value chain: from recording software to advertising tools.

But the most notable were its content deals. When Spotify paid $250 million for exclusive rights to Joe Rogan’s podcast, the industry trembled—not out of admiration, but shock. “When you value Joe Rogan at $250 million, you set a standard that the average podcaster knows they’ll never reach,” observes Young Jr. insightfully.

The result was a podcast bubble that Spotify itself burst. It shut down studios, laid off employees, cut investments. The industry suffered, generations of creators were left behind, and public perception changed radically: podcasting shifted from a growing industry to being labeled as “dead.”

Netflix vs Spotify: Two Different Visions to Dominate Entertainment

Netflix is watching this story closely. Its strategy is deliberately different but equally aggressive. While Spotify spent money indiscriminately on individual creators, Netflix is starting with corporate alliances: iHeartMedia, Barstool Sports, and negotiations with SiriusXM.

“What Netflix is doing seems more calculated,” says Young Jr. “They’re making strategic deals instead of massive bets on celebrities. But the question is: how long will they stay cautious?”

Matthew Dysart predicts that Netflix will eventually follow a path similar to Spotify’s. “I expect that at some point Netflix will close a nine-figure deal with a top-tier podcast creator. They’ll probably bet heavily on high-profile personalities for original podcasts,” the legal expert forecasts.

For a company the size of Netflix, those billions are significant but not catastrophic. However, for the creator economy, it means money that could distort the entire market again.

What Is a Podcast Really? The Blurred Definition Confusing the Industry

Part of the underlying problem is fundamental: no one really agrees on what a podcast is in 2026. “The word has become so vague that it now simply means ‘program,’” observes podcaster Eric Silver in conversation with TechCrunch.

For some, a podcast is a conversational talk show that works perfectly in video. For others, it’s dramatized fiction with voice actors and sophisticated sound design—a format that’s completely lost in video. Others still think of podcasts as NPR’s reported, refined narratives—complex stories that don’t necessarily benefit from visuals.

This ambiguity partly explains resistance. Netflix is trying to expand the talk show format through video, but many creators simply don’t produce talk shows. They do something else, and forcing them into video would be to decontextualize their work.

The Uncertain Future: Consolidation, Money, and Risk in the Podcast Industry

The reality is that creators are watching skeptically. They’ve seen this cycle before. “Every time big companies consolidate an entertainment industry, money flows to those already powerful, and the future becomes more uncertain for everyone else,” warns Silver.

When Spotify consolidated the industry, it profited. Its initial investments seemed transformational but were unsustainable. Startups closed, independent creators were marginalized, and the narrative shifted from “golden age” to “death of podcasting.”

Netflix is just beginning this journey. Its current corporate approach is more sustainable than Spotify’s, but the destination could be similar. The industry has a chance to learn from these mistakes, but corporate incentives rarely favor learning.

What’s clear is that traditional talk shows—the format that for decades defined daytime programming—are in transition. It’s no longer live TV that people want as background while living their lives. It’s on-demand, conversational content with faces they recognize.

If Netflix manages to dominate this space, it will have completely redefined what “talk show” means for a new generation. But the cost for independent creators could be high. As Mikah Sargent, producer of TWiT.tv, said: “If Netflix can be the place where people go for that background companionship, it will be a victory for the company. The question is whether it will also be a victory for everyone else.”