The streaming platform didn’t specify how it would determine the recommendations. But it’s safe to assume that Netflix will use the existing algorithms to ascertain what a user may like. In general, Netflix can recommend content based on annual special events, like Earth Day, as the screenshot shows.
“Think of this Category Hub as a more lively version of our old Categories row that’s tailored to your tastes and makes finding what to watch that much more simple (and fun!),” Netflix said in a press statement (via The Verge). Based on the statement, it doesn’t seem like this will bring any other changes to the layout. Netflix wants users to interact more with the new Category Hub, so it makes sense to have it highlighted.
Netflix lost 200,000 subscribers in Q1 2022
This comes in the wake of significant turmoil for Netflix. The streaming giant said it lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022. The company’s revenues have been significantly hit too. Netflix blamed the diminishing subscribers on millions of “additional households,” a term for non-paying subscribers. One of the potential remedies for the company’s troubles could be to place new limits on account sharing. Netflix is also considering allowing account sharing at an additional cost under a pilot program currently active in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru. Another possible solution is to offer ad-supported streaming at a lower cost. “Those who have followed Netflix know that I have been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription,” Netflix co-CEO John Hastings said this week. “But as much as I am a fan of that, I am a bigger fan of consumer choice, and allowing consumers who would like to have a lower price and are advertising-tolerant to get what they want makes a lot of sense.” Netflix has tried to offset the losses by increasing subscription costs. But it clearly hasn’t worked. So while it’s not time to panic just yet, it’s clear that Netflix has a lot of planning to do.
