Cordkillers 610: Netflix’s Next Fix
Netflix is still growing, but softer forecasts have Wall Street wondering where its next wave of growth will come from. We grade the streamer’s possible answers—including live sports, bundles, social features, acquisitions, creator video and a whole lot of AI. This week on The FULL Experience: Remington Steele (101 - "License to Steele") Next week: Remington Steele (208 - "Scene Steelers") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at
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Supply Run
Netflix’s quarterly revenue rose 13% year over year, matching expectations, but its third-quarter forecast fell below analysts’ already-lower projections. With growth expected to slow, Netflix is exploring several ways to keep viewers watching and advertisers spending.
Going Live
Live programming accounted for six of Netflix’s ten biggest new-subscriber days during the past five years. The company can also sell advertising during live events to subscribers who otherwise pay for an ad-free experience, and it is reportedly considering bids for the 2030 and 2034 World Cup rights.
Building Bundles and Channels
Netflix is experimenting with carrying content from other providers, including its TF1 arrangement in France, while reportedly holding discussions with Peacock. It has also considered traditional live channels and single-franchise FAST channels, although none appear to be imminent.
More Creator and Publisher Video
Netflix is expanding beyond traditional movies and television with video from publishers including BuzzFeed, Condé Nast, People Inc., Hearst Magazines, PMX and Tastemade. A separate Vox Media agreement will bring video versions of podcasts including Unexplainable and Switched on Pop to the service.
Getting Social
Netflix, Sony and Paramount are reportedly among the companies considering an acquisition of Letterboxd, the social platform built around movie discovery, reviews and watchlists.
Buying Its Way to Growth
Rumors continue to connect Netflix with possible acquisitions such as NBCUniversal or Lionsgate. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos pushed back, saying Netflix remains primarily a builder rather than a buyer and maintains a very high bar for major mergers and acquisitions.
Adding More AI
Netflix says generative-AI workflows have already been used in roughly 300 titles during 2026, primarily in post-production. The company also sees AI as a tool for personalization, interactive experiences, advertising and improving production quality.
Search Party
The first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday previews the Marvel film ahead of its December 18 theatrical release.
Netflix named War Machine its most-watched film of the first half of the year, while His & Hers topped its television rankings. The company will replace its twice-yearly engagement report with a single annual “What We Watched” report beginning next year.
The first trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three , an adaptation of Dune Messiah , arrived ahead of the film’s December 18 release.
Dan Trachtenberg’s still-untitled adaptation of Yehudi Mercado’s indie comic Freddy the 13th is scheduled for release on Friday, October 13, 2028.
Netflix acquired U.S. and Latin American rights to Danny Boyle’s Ink , a film about the early years of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. It will premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival on September 2.
Netflix released a special VHS edition of Stranger Things Season 1 that packages the series like an old videocassette—and deliberately gives it VHS-quality video.
Buried Treasure
Brian recommends the greens-only episodes of Bob’s Burgers , which play like an extended edition of The Full Experience .
Tom watched the World Cup with German commentary.
The World Cup reportedly generated 2.8 million sign-ups for Fox One during June, demonstrating the power of exclusive live sports to attract new streaming subscribers.
Scanning the Horizon
A federal judge temporarily paused the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger until August 3, finding that the theatrical distribution evidence suggested the deal could violate antitrust law. Paramount is also offering shareholders additional payments if the transaction extends beyond September 30, proposing concessions in Europe and facing possible intervention from the United Kingdom.
The FCC will vote August 6 on whether to replace enforcement of the 39% national television-station ownership cap with a case-by-case approach.
Disney+ is reportedly exploring a free, advertising-supported tier designed to bring more viewers into the service.
Peacock subscribers will be able to add a Starz subscription directly through the Peacock app.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey dominated the worldwide box office with an estimated $263.7 million opening, including Nolan’s biggest international launch and his third-biggest North American debut.
Chatter
Ken recommends Walmart’s 2026 Onn 4K Pro as an alternative to the Google TV Streamer, citing hands-free Gemini, expandable storage, a remote-finder button, additional RAM and an illuminated remote.
Bill and Toby mourn the shutdown of TV Time and discuss moving their viewing histories to Trakt, Letterboxd, Simkl or Trackr. They ask about importing movie history, choosing among Trakt-compatible apps and whether using Trakt for television and Letterboxd for movies is the best combination.
Adam points out that subscribing directly to streaming services can unlock recurring Chase and American Express statement-credit offers. He also clarifies that Walmart+ only includes the ad-supported versions of Peacock or Paramount+, with no direct upgrade path to ad-free service.
Richard remains committed to buying discs and backing them up to Plex. He warns that subscriptions purchased through Apple TV or Prime Video may not work in standalone apps and can occasionally offer smaller catalogs than subscribing directly.
Sean corrects the suggestion that Rick and Morty Season 9 requires a live-TV service, noting that episodes are also available through HBO Max.