Please listen! Netflix is officially entering the podcast business. The video streaming giant has signed a deal with Spotify to bring top original podcasts, including Bill Simmons’ The Ringer, to subscribers around the world.
The companies did not disclose the terms of the agreement, including the length of the license agreement. The partnership will bring sports, culture, lifestyle and true crime podcasts from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, “complementing Netflix’s existing programming and enabling new audiences and broader distribution for our programming,” the companies said.
Spotify’s programming on Netflix will include the sports and pop culture interview series “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” On “The Rewatchables,” Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessy and other Ringer hosts discuss and analyze more than 300 classic films. and the full-scale crime series “Serial Killers.” The initial selection of titles is “just the beginning” of the Netflix and Spotify partnership. The companies said they plan to continue adding podcasts across a variety of genres and studios.
Spotify video podcasts will be available on Netflix in the U.S. in early 2026, with other markets expected to follow.
Netflix added video podcasts to its lineup as podcasters who originally worked in audio-only formats are increasingly adding video as a way to increase audience engagement. Spotify encourages podcasters to distribute their shows as video episodes, and YouTube is now the leading podcast distribution platform. According to a recent study by radio broadcaster and audio company Cumulus Media, 72% of podcast listeners said they prefer shows with video.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos was asked about the company’s interest in podcasts during the company’s Q1 2025 earnings call in April. “We’re always looking at all kinds of content and content creators,” Sarandos responded. “The lines between podcasts and talk shows are becoming quite blurred. We want to work with great creators across all types of media that consumers like. And podcasts, to your point, are becoming more video-heavy.”
Sarandos added, “As video podcasts become more popular, I think you’ll see some of them end up on Netflix.”
Many of the podcasts under the Netflix-Spotify deal are produced by The Ringer, which Simmons launched in 2016 and was acquired by Spotify in 2020 for about $250 million. Ringer Podcast Network’s roster includes over 50 shows
“This partnership marks a new chapter for podcasts,” Roman Versenmuller, vice president and head of podcasts at Spotify, said in a statement. “Together with Netflix, we will expand discovery and help creators reach new audiences, giving fans around the world the chance to experience the stories they love and discover favorites they never expected. This will give creators more choice and open up entirely new distribution opportunities.”
Lauren Smith, Vice President of Content Licensing and Programming Strategy at Netflix, commented: “With video podcasts on the rise, our partnership with Spotify ensures we can offer full video versions of these top shows on Netflix and Spotify. From pop culture and lifestyle to authentic crime and sports, this curated selection of video podcasts adds fresh voices and new perspectives to Netflix, making our entertainment lineup more exciting than ever. This gives creators more choice.” And a whole new distribution opportunity opens up. ”
Spotify and Netflix announced the list of podcasts covered by this agreement.
Sports: The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Zach Lowe Show, The McShay Show, Fairway Rollin, The Mismatch, The Ringer F1 Show, The Ringer Fantasy Football Show, The Ringer NFL Show, The Ringer NBA Show Culture and Lifestyle: The Rewatchables, The Big Picture, The Dave Chang Show, Recipe Club Dissecting True Crime: Conspiracy Theories, Serial Killers
