Netflix is removing most of its interactive content — and I’m not surprised

There's no denying that Netflix is one of the best streaming services. It's certainly the most popular. Each day, people all around the globe turn on Netflix and hear that iconic “Tudum” sound that says it's time to watch a show or movie.

But apparently, that sound didn't entice people to try out Netflix's interactive content. As reported by The Verge and confirmed by Netflix, the streaming service will delist 20 of its 24 “Interactive Specials” from the platform on December 1.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “Who cares?” And … well, that's kind of the problem. While “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” made some waves when it debuted — and is one of the four titles that will live on after December 1 — other titles failed to gain traction. In fact, The Verge's reporting highlights that Netflix's first interactive title, 2017's “Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale,” has been gone from the streaming service for some time already.

There are likely a few reasons for this. The titles may simply not have been compelling, for one. But I think it comes down to two factors: the rise of mobile viewing and the fact that people didn't really want this in the first place.

Netflix Interactive Specials: Gone and long forgotten

Let's cover that last reason first because I think it really is why this venture ultimately failed for Netflix.

When I sit down for a night or weekend of binge-watching, my goal is almost always to relax and unwind. And given the literal existence of the colloquialism “Netflix and chill,” I am going out on a limb and saying that I'm not alone in that desire either.

In fact, I'm sure many of you not only just want to unwind, but you often have a second screen in your hand to distract yourself even further.

So in hindsight, it's probably not a shock that an interactive media format would fail. When your core audience is not only trying to relax but often not even fully engaged with the show or movie they're watching, the last thing they want to consume is something that forces them to engage. Not when you can just watch a comfort show for the millionth time and scroll on your phone instead.

Netflix seems set to fully pivot to mobile gaming

Speaking of your phone, that's the other reason that Interactive Specials were doomed. These specials were designed for being on the couch in front of your TV. And increasingly, that's not how people consume Netflix.

According to a report from the Advertising Research Foundation, over 6% of U.S. households now watch TV exclusively on their mobile devices as of 2023 (h/t The Wrap). That was an increase of one million homes. since 2022. The percentage of homes without a TV set at all also increased from 7% to 8%.

Data from Statista also highlights the prevalence of watching on mobile. From May to September 2023, the number of unique viewers that watched on mobile was 50% or more of the number of unique viewers that watched on television.

Netflix, for its part, seems to have seen the writing on the wall. In addition to pulling most of its Interactive Specials, Netflix also shut down its AAA game studio just last month. The studio hadn't even released a game yet, but apparently, Netflix had seen enough to call it quits.

But it's not calling quits on mobile gaming. It announced as recently as a week ago that it's adding more mobile games over the coming months.

The most telling comment that this shift to mobile may have been the nail in the coffin for Interactive Specials comes from Netflix spokesperson Chrissy Kelleher. Speaking to The Verge, they said “The technology [Interactive Specials] served its purpose, but is now limiting as we focus on technological efforts in other areas.”

Could the limits in question be Interactive Specials' reliance on watching Netflix on a TV? My guess is that yes, it is.

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