Netflix Is Testing Replacing Algorithms With Human-Driven Curation

Algorithms are pretty fascinating things. While they have wide uses depending on the field, when [...]

By Nicole Drum

Algorithms are pretty fascinating things. While they have wide uses depending on the field, when it comes to things like social media and streaming entertainment platforms, they can be used to predict what sort of content you'd like to see. Specifically with Netflix, their advanced categorization system allows for very specific recommendations based upon hundreds of niche categories of entertainment. But computers aren't people and now the streaming giant is testing a new way to categorize and collect their offerings: human-driven curation.

According to TechCrunch, Netflix is testing out a new "Collections" feature on iOS that offers up suggestions that are put together in categories as placed there by the company's creative teams. The suggestions are in "Collections" are generally organized their similarities, such as genre, tone, etc. For those users included in the test, the "Collections" option is available where My List would normally be -- the top right of the app's homepage.

"We're always looking for new ways to connect our fans with titles we think they'll love, so we're testing out a new way to curate Netflix titles into collections on the Netflix iOS app, " Netflix told TechCrunch. "Our tests generally vary in how long they run for and in which countries they run in, and they may or may not become permanent features on our service."

Twitter user Jeff Higgins (@ItsJeffHiggins) shared what the "Collections" feature looks like in a post to the social media site last week.

For Netflix, testing out "Collections" is just the latest way that the service is attempting to offer more choices to the user experience. The streaming giant also recently went all-in on their "Coming Soon" feature by adding three new categories within the application "Brand New," "Coming This Week," and "Coming Next Week." All of this comes as the streamer is set to face some stiff competition from Disney this fall. Disney+ launches November 12th and that platform will come bundled with Hulu and ESPN+ at the same price of Netflix's entry level package, a move that Disney chief Bob Iger says is just a coincidence.

"I know there's a lot that's been speculated about us going after them. We're not, we're looking to occupy space. That's a growth opportunity for the company and growth in terms in terms of consumption," Iger said. "We've always believed there's plenty of room for both of us to thrive in this marketplace."

What do you think about the test of the new "Collections" feature? Let us know in the comments below.

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