Netflix is preparing to let viewers vote – live, in real time – on the outcome of its shows, and it wants that to become part of the core streaming experience.
Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone said the company has begun rolling out interactive features that allow audiences to vote during live programming, directly from the TV screen or a mobile phone. TechCrunch first reported the comments.
The announcement says as much about the streamer’s move into traditional entertainment formats as it does about the evolution of its technologies.
Netflix has already tested real-time voting on its live cooking format Dinner Time Live with David Chang, where viewers were prompted to choose between options – for example tuna melt vs grilled cheese – and saw the results appear on-screen. The same infrastructure will sit behind Netflix’s reboot of talent contest Star Search, due next year, where viewers’ votes will decide which contestants advance. Stone said the aim is to let subscribers “feel like they’re part of the story, influence the storyline, and feel immersed,” rather than just passively streaming a feed.
Voting windows are time-limited and tied to the live stream. If you’re behind the live point – because you’ve paused or rewound – you miss the chance to vote. That pushes Netflix further into appointment viewing, a space traditionally owned by live broadcast talent competitions.
Stone positioned live interactivity as part of a wider technical shift inside Netflix: real-time responsiveness across formats, not just TV shows. Alongside live votes, Netflix is building second-screen style features for events, experimenting with interactive podcasts, and leaning harder into “living room party games” that run on the TV and use the phone as a controller. She namechecked Boggle and other party titles that Netflix plans to offer as group games in the home.
Netflix is also refreshing the product experience itself. The company is rolling out themed “immersive” homepage moments that add animation and dynamic effects around a franchise or seasonal window, starting with a Halloween collection and followed by a Holiday collection in December, with brand-led hubs such as Bridgerton to follow. Kids profiles are also being redesigned with simpler navigation and a My Netflix area for favourites and recommendations.
For Netflix, the bet is that interactive live formats – plus feature layers like in-app prompts, real-time vote graphics and multi-device control – can create a shared, community-style experience for subscribers at a time when competition in streaming is intense and differentiation is getting harder. Stone told TechCrunch Disrupt that consistent engagement across early voting tests suggests Netflix viewers are willing to take part, not just watch.
