Netflix will present video podcasts by The Ringer as part of a partnership with Spotify. Content including “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” the movie fan show “The Rewatchables” and true crimecast “Conspiracy Theories” will be part of the lineup, along with The Ringer’s NFL, NBA, Fantasy Football, and F1 auto racing series, joining the Netflix schedule beginning in early 2026. Spotify Head of Podcasts Roman Wasenmüller calls the streaming partnership “a new chapter for podcasting” that will expand discovery, helping creators reach new audiences through Netflix’s global reach.

“The deal prevents the shows from airing in their entirety on YouTube, Netflix’s biggest competitor,” The New York Times writes, adding that “Netflix will not run ad breaks with the initial set of shows, even for subscribers who pay for the less expensive plan that shows advertising during its programming,” but will allow any Spotify advertising that happens to be integrated into the shows to remain.

“With video podcasts on the rise, our partnership with Spotify ensures we bring the full video versions of these top shows to Netflix and Spotify,” Netflix VP Lauren Smith said in Netflix’s announcement.

As the podcasting matures, “Spotify remains focused on innovation, scale, and creator success,” according to a Spotify post. “Creators retain control, benefit from multiple revenue streams, and are supported in building sustainable businesses.”

The Ringer was founded in 2016 by ESPN personality Bill Simmons and purchased by Spotify in 2020 for nearly $200 million. “The Bill Simmons Podcast” is a sports and pop-culture interview series while on “The Rewatchables” Simmons and co-hosts Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey and other personalities “have debated and dissected more than 300 classic films,” Variety reports.

“Tuesday’s announcement comes as media companies have turned to video podcasts as the next big thing among their audiences. In particular, video podcasts have soared in popularity on Google’s YouTube, which is increasingly nabbing a bigger share of viewership,” explains CNBC.

At the 2025 TV Upfront advertising presentations, “some companies, including Amazon’s Prime Video, noted the recent success of podcast content as creators sign multimillion dollar deals and garner millions of followers and views,” CNBC adds.

NYT says “the appetite for video podcasts is enormous,” with 72 percent of podcast listeners telling Cumulus Media they prefer shows with video.

Bloomberg points out that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos sits on Spotify’s board and has for some time expressed interest in podcasts finding a home on the service.