Netflix launches global live voting feature for interactive shows

Netflix is launching a new feature that allows users to interact with live content through voting. The streaming company is rolling out the option globally, debuting with the premiere of its livestreamed talent show “Star Search” on January 20. To participate, subscribers can cast votes in real time using either a TV remote or the Netflix mobile app. The platform will tally these votes on the back end in real time, though viewers will have only a limited window of time to participate. Once the voting period lapses, additional votes will not count, meaning viewers watching the broadcast later cannot participate in the live voting process.

When voting, users can choose from a multiple-choice menu or rate a contestant’s performance on a scale of five stars. The launch follows a testing phase that began in August 2025, when the company first trialed the live voting feature with the show “Dinner Time Live with David Chang.” Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone later confirmed the upcoming wide release of the feature during the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 conference. Stone noted that viewers watching “Star Search” on their TV will be able to use their TV or mobile phone to cast a vote that directly determines whether contestants advance on the show.

The live voting feature represents a convergence of two major product initiatives for Netflix: live broadcasting and interactive gaming. The company has steadily expanded its live programming, which includes comedy specials like “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney” and “Dinner Time Live with David Chang,” alongside sports broadcasts including the NFL and WWE. Meanwhile, in October, Netflix launched interactive games that subscribers can play directly on their smart TVs. By introducing live voting, the company is merging these two formats to deepen user engagement.

According to Stone, the feature is “So it’s just a very early starting example of the ways that we think content can be more interactive over time, across devices, between TV and mobile, where a member who subscribes to Netflix can actually feel like they’re part of the story, influence the storyline, and feel immersed in that.”

Why it matters

This feature represents a strategic shift for Netflix, blending its growing live-broadcast ambitions with interactive gaming mechanics to deepen viewer engagement and immersion.