Netflix goes beyond streaming, offers video games on TV for first time

Netflix Inc. is all set to launch something new for the viewers. Users can now take a break from binge-watching their favourite shows like Stranger Things, to play games like Boggle, directly on their TVs. The OTT giant announced its move into TV-based games for the first time during the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles, with co-CEO Greg Peters.

Netflix launches video games on TV

It is said to be a significant step in one of Netflix’s key growth initiatives.

“One of the gaming areas we’re going after is social gaming experiences that can show up on your TV,” Peters said, while candidly giving Netflix a B-minus for its progress in this area so far, as quoted by Bloomberg.

The first batch of games is designed for group play. It includes games such as Boggle Party, Pictionary: Game Night, Tetris Time Warp, and Lego Party.

Netflix has been offering games for four years now, aiming to broaden its footprint beyond films and television. Until now, games have been restricted to mobile devices only. With this new initiative, subscribers will be able to use their smartphones as controllers while most of the action unfolds on the big screen.

Peters has been leading Netflix’s push into gaming. Shifting focus to TV is said to be a beneficial strategy, as mobile gaming is already a highly competitive, mature market.

Alain Tascan, head of Netflix’s gaming division, noted that numerous film and TV companies have attempted to enter the sector but failed.

“They took a short-term approach,” he said. Tascan, who joined Netflix in July 2024 from Epic Games Inc., the company behind Fortnite, is leading the company’s efforts to revamp its strategy and overcome Hollywood’s historical struggles with gaming.

Initially, Netflix believed offering free mobile games would draw large audiences, but it became clear that many gamers already had their preferred platforms; Netflix wasn't in them.

Games available on Netflix now

The company has now narrowed down games into four categories: games for children, party games, mainstream hits such as Grand Theft Auto, and games based on existing Netflix IPs, including Stranger Things.

All games in this first rollout are free, with Lego Party, for example, usually retailing at about $40. To play, users will need a smart TV or a streaming device such as those from Roku Inc., and will turn their phones into controllers by scanning a QR code.

“To entertain the world, we must include games,” Tascan said. “Many companies have large user bases, but few can engage all these people on the primary entertainment screen at home — the TV.”