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What to Know
Netflix, which also made our list back in 2023, continues to take its experiential marketing efforts to the next level, leveraging its IP to create off-screen activations and immersive experiences.
With an active global fandom, Netflix creates opportunities for viewers to connect with the stories and characters they love, including “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” on Broadway, “The Perfect Bite, A Dinner Experience” that was inspired by Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and coming soon, Netflix House.
The streaming service also recently became more than just a subscription-based platform; it now combines both subscriptions and advertising in its business model. According to Nielsen's ratings, of the top 15 TV shows in the 2024-2025 season, ten are Netflix originals, with Squid Game and Adolescence leading the way as the most-viewed series.
To promote the second season of Squid Game, Netflix organized a giant "Red Light, Green Light" game on the Champs-Élysées in Paris with 456 randomly selected participants dressed in the show's signature green tracksuits.Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Most Innovative Experiences
“It’s been a remarkable year of fan-first moments. From 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' opening on Broadway and Lady Gaga’s show-stopping performance at Tudum: Live to Squid Game activations that spanned three continents, including an iconic game of 'Red Light, Green Light' on the Champs-Élysées, we placed fans at the heart of their favorite stories in ways that only Netflix can,” said Marian Lee, chief marketing officer at Netflix, who leads a global marketing team of more than 500 employees.
At Tudum, it was announced that Lady Gaga will guest star in part two of season two of Wednesday.Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Event Philosophy
“Our campaigns, activations, and fan events are focused on putting fans at the center. More than ever, fans want to live and engage with the worlds and characters from their favorite stories, and we delight in finding new and exciting opportunities for them to do so,” Lee said. “We’ve seen firsthand that when fans love it, they want to live it.”
Sports Streaming Partnerships
In 2024, Netflix streamed its first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday. Those games turned out to be the two most streamed NFL games in U.S. history, with an average audience of more than 26.5 million viewers in the U.S., and over 30 million viewers globally. During its Upfront presentation earlier this year, Netflix announced its second year of NFL games on Christmas Day. And earlier this year, the streamer kicked off its $5-billion, ten-year partnership with the WWE, broadcasting the wrestling entertainment company’s flagship show, WWE Raw.
Earlier this month, Netflix enlisted live streamer N3on to exclusively stream the premiere event of the third season of Squid Game at Domino Park in Brooklyn. More than 30,000 viewers tuned into the livestream.Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Looking Ahead
“We cannot wait for fans to experience our most ambitious venture yet, Netflix House, where favorite stories come to life and fans can immerse themselves in the worlds of beloved shows and movies like Stranger Things, Wednesday, Squid Game, ONE PIECE, Bridgerton, Glass Onion, and more through interactive experiences, games, and retail and food offerings,” Lee said. The permanent experiential entertainment venues are slated to open in Philadelphia and Dallas later this year and Las Vegas in 2027.
To celebrate the latest installment of R.L. Stine’s blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, Netflix transformed Hollywood’s historic Fonda Theatre into the Shadyside High Senior Prom ‘88: A Fear Street Experience. Fans were invited to an interactive theatrical experience filled with horror, jump scares, gore, and Fear Street lore, transforming everyone into Shadyside seniors.Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Netflix Bites Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino opened in February and features menu items inspired by its shows.Photo: David Becker/Getty Images for Netflix
In April, ahead of the release of YOU season five, Netflix opened a recreation of Mooney’s Rare & Used Books, the fictional bookstore from the show, in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. The pop-up included a one-of-a-kind hunt ending in main character Joe Goldberg’s infamous cage.Photo: Courtesy of Invisible North
Tudum 2025: The Live Event, the platform’s fan convention, took over the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on May 31.Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
