The Great YouTube-ification of Netflix

Premium content from leading digital publishers is coming to the streaming giant | Streaming in Short – W28

Jul 10, 2026

⏱️ This week’s streaming news in MENA and around the world, in 5 min.

🆕 CREATORS: Netflix is bringing premium publisher content to its homepage through partnerships with brands like BuzzFeed, Conde Nast, and Tastemade, expanding beyond movies and TV series with short-form lifestyle and entertainment videos. More in The Lab’s Pick.

🤝 PARTNERSHIPS: Just three weeks after launching on Netflix, TF1 says its partnership has already exceeded the audience targets it had set for the first 18 months. More in The Lab’s Pick.

📱 BUNDLING: TOD has partnered with Moroccan telecom operator inwi to bundle premium sports and entertainment content with mobile plans, making subscriptions easier to access and pay for. More in my Analysis section.

📺 FAST: VIDAA has launched more than 30 free TV channels across 10 MENA markets through a partnership with Screenomic, expanding its Smart TV offering with entertainment, sports, news and kids content.

🤑 M&A: OSN has proposed to acquire all remaining Anghami shares it does not already own, a move that would take the MENA audio streaming platform private again.

🤖 AI: Azuran Studio’s AI-generated anime-style content has been featured by a major French news broadcaster, showing how AI-native storytelling is starting to reach mainstream audiences.

📈 ADVERTISING: Netflix will host its first-ever Upfront in France on October 14, bringing together advertisers, agencies and partners to showcase its upcoming content, talent and advertising solutions.

🤖 AI: Sharjah Broadcasting Authority has launched an AI-powered video library that transforms decades of broadcast archives into searchable, licensable content using AI for metadata, transcription and content discovery.

Netflix brings premium digital creators to its homepage

What happened?

👉 Netflix is bringing popular short-form series from some of the world’s biggest digital publishers directly to its platform, giving members more content to watch between movies and TV shows.

Key details:

From August 3, the new content will be available to all Netflix members in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Netflix will offer both popular existing franchises and new ongoing series, including Architectural Digest’s Open Door, BuzzFeed’s I Draw, You Cook, People’s My Life in Pictures and Tastemade’s Struggle Meals.
The catalog will feature videos ranging from 3 to 20 minutes across food, travel, fashion, entertainment, design, wellness and lifestyle.

Why it matters?

🎯 By adding creator-led and editorial content, it gives members more reasons to open the app every day, not just when a new series drops. It’s another sign that the boundaries between streaming platforms and digital video platforms continue to blur.

Netflix × TF1 partnership is already delivering results

👉 Just three weeks after launching on Netflix, TF1 says its partnership has already exceeded the audience targets it originally expected to reach within 18 months.

📍 TF1 reported a 16% increase in daily unique streams during the first week of the partnership, with several of its shows appearing in Netflix’s Top 10 in France. The broadcaster also reached a record 8.3 million daily streams for the Koh-Lanta finale and says advertising performance on Netflix is comparable to TF1+.

💡 The Netflix-TF1 partnership is proving that broadcasters don’t always need to compete with global streamers. Becoming part of the streaming ecosystem may be a faster path to growing audiences, increasing engagement and expanding advertising reach.

TOD and inwi partner to expand premium streaming in Morocco

👉 TOD and Moroccan telecom operator inwi have announced a strategic partnership to make premium sports and entertainment content more accessible across Morocco.

📍 Selected inwi prepaid, postpaid and Home customers will receive access to TOD offers as part of their mobile plans. The partnership also introduces simpler payment options, allowing subscribers to pay through their mobile bill or prepaid credit.

💡 By bundling streaming with mobile services and simplifying payments, platforms like TOD can reach new audiences while reducing barriers to subscription in high-growth markets.

🎥 Save the date: IBC2026 | September 11–14

One of the world's leading media and entertainment event will once again bring together broadcasters, streamers, technology providers and creators to explore the future of the industry. This year's edition will spotlight AI, streaming, content innovation, new business models and the technologies shaping the next generation of broadcasting. See you in Amsterdam?

🏝️ Lord of the Flies, from Graham Yost (TOD, 4 episodes): After a plane crash, a group of schoolboys find themselves stranded on a tropical island without adults. Ralph is elected leader and, with the help of the intelligent Piggy, strives to maintain order and civilization. Jack, responsible for the signal fire, becomes increasingly focused on hunting and power struggles. This leads to tensions within the group, gradually pushing the boys from hope and structure into chaos and tragedy.

🏝️ In 2004, the first season of Lost premiered on ABC. Created by J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Jeffrey Lieber, the series follows the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 after their plane crashes on a mysterious island filled with unexplained phenomena and hidden secrets. Blending survival drama, mystery, science fiction, adventure and psychological storytelling, Lost became one of the defining television series of the 2000s, revolutionizing serialized storytelling, fueling global fan theories and inspiring a new generation of mystery-driven TV shows.