Netflix and Laugh

Need a quick laugh?

If you have an Android phone and a Netflix subscription, you're in luck thanks to "Fast Laughs".

According to the streaming giant, "Fast Laughs offers a full-screen feed of funny clips from our big comedy catalog including films (Murder Mystery), series (Big Mouth), sitcoms (The Crew) and stand-up from comedians like Kevin Hart and Ali Wong."

But this isn't just a fun PSA about a new Android* feature.

It's a fantastic example of a company strategically leveraging its existing assets to address a new user occasion.

Most of us watch Netflix for long-form content, but TikTok, Instagram Stories, Facebook Reels, Snibble, and others prove there's a lot of demand for short-form content too!

Netflix didn't create an entirely new app to address this demand: it simply added a button to its existing menu. And voila: entertaining, short-form content for when you don't have the time for an entire episode.

Here's the really brilliant part: if users like a given clip, they can add the full show to their "My List" and watch it later... meaning this isn't just a fad feature to keep up with the social media apps, it's a strategic way for Netflix to introduce subscribers to new shows and ultimately increase view time.

Kudos to Netflix for innovation done well.

* Okay, fine... "Fast Laughs" has been available in select countries on iOS since March 2021, but it was only released on Android yesterday. I tested it out, and was immediately served two clips from Brooklyn 99... so I can confirm it's working perfectly. :)