Netflix bolsters unscripted TV and space content with Spotify and NASA partnerships

New Delhi: Netflix is expanding its content offerings, diving deeper into unscripted television and space exploration through strategic partnerships with Spotify and NASA, according to recent reports.

The streaming giant is in early discussions with Spotify to collaborate on a range of music-focused projects, including music awards shows, live concert series, celebrity interviews, and short-turnaround documentaries. 

This push aligns with Netflix’s broader strategy to bolster its unscripted programming, a category that has gained traction with shows like ‘Love Is Blind’, the upcoming ‘Star Search’ reboot, and ‘Building the Band’, a new music competition series hosted by Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean, set to premiere next week. 

The potential Netflix-Spotify collaboration aims to capitalise on the viral potential of unscripted content, particularly celebrity interviews and music competitions, which could resonate widely on social media. 

However, internal debates at Netflix have centred on whether audiences will engage with full-length interview content when highlights are likely to circulate online almost immediately. 

The partnership could also position Netflix to compete more directly with traditional cable TV and platforms like YouTube by offering live events and timely, trend-driven documentaries.

In a separate move, Netflix has partnered with NASA to bring the agency’s NASA+ streaming service to its platform starting this summer. This collaboration will provide subscribers with ad-free access to live rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, mission coverage, and real-time views of Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). 

Exclusive interviews with NASA staff and educational documentaries will also be featured, aiming to make space exploration more accessible to Netflix’s global audience of over 700 million users. The partnership marks a significant step in Netflix’s expansion into live content, following its ventures into live sports, WWE events, and celebrity golf tournaments.

The NASA+ content will be available at no additional cost across Netflix’s existing subscription plans, while NASA+ will continue to operate independently on its own platform.