Netflix is adding a dedicated buyer to its podcast strategy. The streamer has hired Steve Wilson, a 15-year veteran of Apple Podcasts, as a consultant to lead podcast content acquisition. Netflix confirmed the appointment.
An audio hire inside a video company
Wilson’s background spans Apple Podcasts editorial, partner relations and show marketing; he was most recently at Daylight Media and earlier served as chief strategy officer at QCODE. The hire formalises a direction Netflix has been testing through deals rather than through a central team.
Since late 2025, the company has built out its podcast shelf in three ways:
- The Spotify and The Ringer partnership brought video podcasts such as The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, The Zach Lowe Show, The McShay Show and Conspiracy Theories to Netflix.
- Licensing expanded with iHeartMedia and Barstool.
- Original shows and creator deals include The Pete Davidson Show and signings with Jay Shetty and Charlamagne Tha God.
Why this is a YouTube fight
Exclusivity is the common thread. Licensed podcasts are being taken off other homes, a move read as an attempt to blunt YouTube’s grip on daytime video viewing. For media planners, that makes the format retention inventory meant to hold subscribers between premium drops, not just a marketing add-on.
But there is no public scoreboard. Netflix has not released viewership or listenership figures for these shows. Media buyers should treat the format as experimental until comparable numbers are published.
A selective investment, not a broad one
The hire lands as Netflix plans to cut about 6 percent of its workforce, roughly 1,000 people—its largest staff reduction since 2022. Netflix said the cuts target areas where it was “overinvested,” and the revamp has reached senior ranks, including chief content officer Bela Bajaria and film chief Dan Lin. Podcast acquisitions are one of the areas being reinforced while other parts of the company shrink.
What to watch next
The immediate signal is format, not scale. Watch whether Netflix places podcasts in ad-supported placements, sells sponsorships against video podcasts, or publishes reach metrics. Until then, an exclusive podcast slate is a strategy bet, not a proven media channel.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
