Netflix reality TV stars are going head-to-head on the new Netflix Reality Games. The new show launched, surprisingly, on YouTube.

Fan favorites from Love is Blind, The Circle, and Too Hot to Handle will compete against each other in competitions testing their strength, speed and wit, hosted by Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause. The three-episode series launched on Netflix’s YouTube channel, and many are wondering why it didn’t launch on its own platform instead.

Branching Out

This isn’t the first Netflix-produced content that was launched off the streamer. In June 2020, Netflix released a 27-minute video of Dave Chappelle’s monologuing on racism, police brutality, and celebrity, also on YouTube.

The Chapelle video launched on Netflix’s Youtube comedy channel “Netflix is a Joke,” which now brags more than one million subscribers and airs daily clips as well as stand-up specials. Netflix even turned the channel into a live festival and a satellite radio channel.

Reed Hastings, Netflix’s Chief Executive Officer, had previously portrayed YouTube as his company’s biggest competitor, being the only online video service that people use more than Netflix. Yet more recently, Netflix has begun embracing YouTube as a partner platform, showing a fundamental shift in both corporate identity and strategy.

Previously, the streaming giant only concerned itself with driving viewers to its own platform. Now, there seems to be more of an interest in building franchises and infiltrating other parts of entertainment culture.

Along with their comedy franchise, Netflix also hosts a kids channels on YouTube called Netflix Junior, with close to 3 million subscribers (the channel was once called StoryBots, which Netflix purchased in 2019.)

Final Thoughts

Netflix is branching out into every corner of entertainment it can. The streaming service no longer sees itself as a simple technology company, interested simply in driving eyeballs to its own platform, but as a media and entertainment player. This means that building up followings on their YouTube channels is a great way for Netflix to reach (and influence) young fans and compete with other media giants like Disney.

In other words: Netflix’s former competitor is poised to become its new best friend.

Put A Ring On It | Netflix Reality Games: Episode 1