Netflix launching real-time voting feature
Netflix launching real-time voting feature
As the streamer expands its live programming, Netflix is giving viewers a way to make their experience more interactive.
There’s more and more live content coming to Netflix, and it’s not just sporting events. The reboot of the popular ’90s competition series “Star Search” will call Netflix home in 2026, for one, and those episodes will be presented live each week. To make the viewing experience even more interactive, Netflix is launching real-time voting functionality for subscribers so they can vote for their favorite contestants during live competition shows.
Key Details:
- You decide!: Netflix’s real-time voting feature will let viewers pick their favorites during competition shows.
- Ready to roll: The feature was first tested in August, and will roll out for all customers when “Star Search” arrives on Netflix.
- Act fast: Viewers will have a limited time to vote during live programming.
While the world’s largest streamer had been experimenting with live voting features for the past few months, Netflix chief technology officer Elizabeth Stone announced that the feature was rolling out widely at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 Conference on Tuesday. Viewers will be able to vote while watching a live program or event on Netflix, and their vote will contribute to influencing the outcome of the program.
Netflix is planning to roll out this feature widely to subscribers when its reboot of “Star Search” arrives next year. The streamer saw consistent engagement with the voting feature during tests this August, when some users were able to vote on episodes of “Dinner Time Live with David Chang.”
Viewers will be able to vote with multiple devices on Netflix, including Android and iOS mobile devices, gaming consoles, and most connected TV devices and smart TVs. Viewers will see voting options arrive on screen automatically when the time comes, but voting will only be available to those watching live. If you walk away from the TV, you might miss your chance!
“If you’re sitting at home watching ‘Star Search’ on your TV, you’ll be able to either on the TV or your mobile phone actually put in a vote that advances or doesn’t advance some of the contestants on the show,” Stone said. “So it’s just a very early starting example of the ways that we think content can be more interactive over time, across devices, between TV and mobile, where a member who subscribes to Netflix can actually feel like they’re part of the story, influence the storyline, and feel immersed in that.”
Netflix wants to continue helping viewers feel more involved in what they’re watching, and real-time voting will give fans the feeling of having direct control over outcomes. Stone also announced Netflix will launch more experiences on its home page with new animation effects, such as holiday and IP-driven content collections.
Earlier in October, Netflix brought its mobile games to smart TVs, allowing customers to play on the big screen using their phone as their controller. Now, real-time voting will help Netflix viewers feel more connected to the content they’re watching live.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”