Netflix Has Been Secretly Letting Some Subscribers Watch TV Shows And Films Before Their Release

So, what would you do if you could watch Netflix shows and movies before they get a public release?

According to a recent report by Variety Magazine, Netflix has been reaching out to small groups of subscribers in the United States since May 2021, asking them to evaluate the company’s upcoming films and television shows before they officially hit the platform.

Subscribers who participate in the feedback panels get to watch “several upcoming movies and series over the course of about six months,” and after they finish viewing a particular piece of content, they’re asked to fill out a survey.

The survey is meant to tell the streaming platform what you as the client liked, what you didn’t, how you’d make it even better or how likely you’d be to recommend it to friends and family.

Netflix then takes that feedback into account for potential changes ahead of a film or TV show’s debut.

NOTE: Netflix has reportedly confirmed that subscribers have been taking part in the feedback panels, but only in the US.

Netflix isn’t new to testing out new features & stuff ahead of a public release

This idea of getting viewer feedback and focus-group testing isn’t unusual in the film industry as Hollywood has been conducting test screenings and market research for decades.

Depending on how the test audience reacts, there may be changes made to a film’s editing or even reshoots might be carried out.

Netflix on its part, routinely tests a lot of its new software features with a subset of its customer base as part of its product development process.

Some good examples are; a Top 10 Row introduced in 2020 to help someone keep up with what other people in his/her country are watching.

Not forgetting the Play Something shuffle-play feature which picks a show or movie for someone to watch based on their watch history and viewing lists.

How does Netflix choose the people to take part in this customer feedback panel?

It’s not clear how users can try to enroll into feedback panels on their own since Variety’s report suggests Netflix will come to you.

Apparently, potential participants are invited to take part through an email from Netflix that reads;

“We at Netflix are building a community of members to view and give feedback on upcoming movies and series and we’d like to know if you’re interested in being a part of it. It’s simple but an incredibly important part of creating best-in-class content for you and Netflix members all around the world.”

If you get chosen, you have to keep it a secret

Subscribers who participate in the pre-release screenings must sign a non-disclosure agreement and agree to keep all information about the content they watch confidential prior to their official release.

Conclusion

It’s good to know that the streamer is taking more feedback from its customers at a time it’s raising subscription fees and cracking down on password sharing.