Netflix is launching a new mobile feature that gives subscribers the opportunity to laugh at night without having to watch a TV show or entire movie.
Fast Laughs, currently only available to iOS device owners in select countries, looks like TikTok or Instagram Reels. Different short clips – taken from programs like Big mouth or stand-up specials from comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Ali Wong – play directly on the Netflix app. If one of the shows, movies or specials arouses interest, people can add that title to the saved list to watch later.
“We are always looking for new ways to entertain and make discovery easier for members,” Patrick Flemming, Netflix’s director of product innovation, said, adding that Fast Laughs is a “new full-screen feed of funny clips from a wide variety of Netflix titles, ranging from movies and series to our large stand of specials stand -up. “
Adding Fast Laughs makes sense for Netflix, considering the growth and prominence of TikTok in the market right now. Netflix’s latest earnings reports specifically mentioned TikTok as a major competitor. It’s not that Netflix and TikTok do the same kind of content, but people are spending more time on TikTok – and therefore less time on Netflix. Offering iPhone users something more to browse on their phones, and making it more time spent on the app, convincing people to walk their way Big mouth again, it is a smart business movement.
It also helps Netflix to highlight how much content is on the platform. Netflix has invested heavily in stand-up comedy, has signed multiple photo deals with comedians like Adam Sandler and Kevin Hart and is building its career in animation. As there is a lot of content, a lot of it can get lost on the platform. This is a way to give subscribers a small taste of things they may have missed. That’s the main difference between TikTok and Netflix’s Fast Laughs: Netflix is not trying to launch a new platform to provide entertainment, but instead to use a new feature to keep people on its current platform.
To access Fast Laughs, customers can use the bottom navigation menu to click on the Fast Laughs tab. The company will begin testing Fast Laughs on Android devices soon.