With games, podcasts, and videos, Netflix is turning into YouTube

Netflix has shows and movies. And video games. And live sports. And podcasts. And also, apparently, YouTube videos? For a company that used to seem like the next big thing in TV, it all feels a little frenetic, and maybe a tad desperate. For a company that sees sleep as its primary competitor, it might all make perfect sense.

On this episode of The Vergecast, David and Nilay try to figure out why Netflix continues to expand its content machine and whether the company’s ongoing YouTube-ification makes any sense at all. Many have tried to compete with YouTube; none have succeeded. Does that mean Netflix might inch its way up the Go90 Scale of Doomed Streaming Services?

After that, the hosts look into the ongoing strangeness of Meta’s smart glasses strategy. The company is making some good, privacy-conscious moves, while also running full-speed into ever more privacy-invading features. Meta’s bet seems to be that its features will win in the end, but we’re not so sure. And we wonder whether Meta might be ruining smart glasses for everyone else.

In case you missed it this week: We also tested the Trump Phone, explored how to reconnect with the physical world, answered your questions about smartphones, and checked in on quantum computing. And we want to hear all your thoughts about all of it! Call the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11, send us an email at vergecast@theverge.com, and tell us everything that’s on your mind. And make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!