Netflix is planning to open new immersive locations created around its original TV shows where fans can shop, eat, and play some games. The two new locations will be Netflix’s first permanent fan experience locations its Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos announced on Thursday during the Bloomberg Screentime conference.
“Don’t think of it like Disneyland,” said Sarandos, saying Netflix House is “something you might go to a couple times a month, not just once every couple years.”
Netflix has dabbled in the fan experience region before with a Bridgerton Ball and Stranger Things pop-ups, but Netflix House represents the company’s largest investment to date in the physical fan experience.
The streaming giant views Netflix House more as a way to promote their content, than as a meaningful source of revenue, according to Bloomberg. The fan experience locations will have rotating installations, ranging from ticketed shows to restaurants to retail shops.
“We’ve seen how much fans love to immerse themselves in the world of our movies and TV shows, and we’ve been thinking a lot about how we take that to the next level,” Vice President of Consumer Products Josh Simon said to Bloomberg.
There is limited info about where these locations will take shape. In 2023 alone, Netflix opened a temporary restaurant in Los Angeles to tie in with its food shows and reopened New York City’s famous Paris Theater where it can run its original films to qualify for awards consideration along with repertory selections.
On Wednesday night, news broke that the SAG-AFTRA strike would continue, as union and studio negotiations broke down. A subscriber revenue-sharing agreement proposed by the actors was a major sticking point. Sarandos called it a “bridge too far.” Sarandos said the proposal from SAG-AFTRA would cost four to five times as much as the one it offered the WGA union, because of the number of people involved.
Fan experiences offer tremendous revenue to brands like Disney and Universal Studios. While Netflix House is a long way from being anything like other legacy parks, it’s a step in that direction. As the streaming space becomes increasingly competitive, and streamers must raise prices for subscriptions, the desire to monetize other parts of the business is further incentivised.