Netflix is now rolling out a new feature that will allow users to interact with content directly through voting. The streaming company says the option will be available with the premiere of the live talent show “Star Search” on January 20.
Customers will be able to select options from a menu of various options or rate the person’s performance on a five-star scale. Sound can be done using the TV remote or the Netflix app.
Netflix says the feature will work globally, and on the backend, the platform will count votes in real time. Viewers will have a limited time to vote, and once that time is up, additional votes will not be counted. That means if you’re watching the show, you can’t vote.
The streamer start testing live voting in August 2025 with “Dinner Time Live with David Chang.” During TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, The company’s CTO, Elizabeth Stone, confirmed that the company will soon start using the feature.
“If you are sitting at home watching ‘Star Search’ on TV, you will be able to either on TV or mobile phone actually put in the vote that advance or not advance some contestants in the show,” Stone said.
“So this is just an early example of how we think content can become more interactive over time, across devices, across TV and mobile, where members who subscribe to Netflix can actually feel like they’re part of the story, affect the story, and feel immersed.
Netflix has gone big for live content with shows like “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney” and “Dinner Time Live with David Chang,” along with sports broadcasts, including NFL Christmas special and WWE shows. In October, the company launched an interactive game so people can play on smart TV. Netflix is now merging these two threads into one by launching live voting.
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