Netflix has announced Tudum, a global virtual fan event set for September 25 that will showcase exclusive news and first looks at some of the streaming giant’s original content. Tudum, which is named after the sound users hear when they press play on Netflix, will feature stars and creators from over 70 Netflix series, films and specials.
“It’s our first ever global Tudum event, and our goal is simple: to entertain and honor Netflix fans from across the globe,” a spokesperson for Netflix told TechCrunch in an email.
The event will feature interactive panels and conversations with the creators and stars of some of Netflix’s most popular shows, including “Stranger Things,” “Emily in Paris,” “The Witcher,” “The Crown,” “Cobra Kai” and “Bridgerton.” Netflix will also feature some of its popular films including “Red Notice,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Extraction,” “The Harder They Fall,” “The Old Guard” and more.
Netflix is among several other major companies that have started hosting their own virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift towards livestreamed programming. Disney+, for instance, held a special event to honor National Streaming Day earlier this year in May. These types of events are becoming the new way for companies to showcase their original content, whereas in previous years they would do so at various in-person fan conventions.
With this new fan event and other similar ones such as Geeked Week, Netflix is no longer relying on other programming or conventions to promote its original content as it can now host its own events. Tudum also seems to be a way for Netflix to acquire more subscribers by promoting popular returning shows and teasing upcoming content.
The virtual livestream for the three-hour Tudum event starts at 12 pm EST/9 am PST on Saturday, September 25. The event will be broadcast on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch. Netflix is also hosting special pre-shows to showcase its Korean and Indian original series and films along with its anime content at 8 am EST/5 am PST.
Netflix’s event announcement comes as the streaming giant has spent the past year expanding its service and adding new features. Recently, the platform has launched a new “Play Something” shuffle feature, a new section to help users track upcoming releases and a new ‘Downloads For You’ feature that automatically downloads content you’ll like. In terms of the future, Netflix has said its gaming push will begin with mobile and that it plans to bring spatial audio to the platform’s iPhone and iPad apps.