Netflix adds short-form videos from Rolling Stone, Variety and others

Netflix will begin adding short-form videos from Rolling Stone, Variety and other publishers on Aug. 3, bringing a new layer of 2- to 20-minute programming to its service as it pushes deeper into the attention economy.

The rollout is part of a licensing pact that includes Penske Media’s PMX brands, among them Variety, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Eater, IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter, along with BuzzFeed Studios, Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, People Inc. and Tastemade. Netflix said the clips will complement its scripted and unscripted lineup with news, feature, lifestyle and how-to video, and will be available to subscribers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Among the initial series slated for the platform is Variety’s How Well Do They Know?. Rolling Stone said its video franchises The Breakdown and My Life in 10 Songs will also be available on Netflix starting in August. Netflix said the episodes will range from roughly 2-3 minutes to 20 minutes or more, a format mix that sits between social video and traditional streaming programming.

John Derderian, Netflix’s vice president of animation series and kids and family TV, said the partnerships are intended to “deepen fandom” and keep members engaged beyond the final credits. The move adds publisher-made video to a business that has steadily widened beyond movies and series into video games, podcasts and live events.

Netflix has already tested short-form video before. The company introduced Fast Laughs in 2021 and ran a TikTok-style vertical mobile feed in 2025 designed to surface short clips from original titles. The new publisher deal extends that experiment into licensed material from established media brands, giving Netflix a way to populate its app with fresh, snackable videos that can be consumed between longer shows.

The strategy tracks a broader shift in streaming. Short-form video has become a primary rival for audience time, with TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels setting the pace for rapid, high-frequency viewing. Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall argued in 2025 that Netflix’s next major move should be higher-value short-form content and exclusive, multi-year creator deals, a view that now looks increasingly aligned with Netflix’s publisher push.