Netflix has struck a deal to begin hosting short-form video content from dozens of digital media brands, including BuzzFeed, Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, People Inc and Tastemade, starting on 3 August. The move marks a notable shift for the streaming service, which is expanding beyond its traditional film and television catalogue to feature the kind of material that would normally appear on YouTube or other online platforms, keeping viewers within its own app rather than sending them elsewhere.

The agreement covers a mix of previously licensed videos and new ongoing series, such as Architectural Digest's "Open Door" and Vanity Fair's "Lie Detector Test", running from roughly three to 20 minutes and spanning food, travel, fashion, entertainment, design and wellness. Netflix says further publishers may be added in future. The announcement comes shortly after a Bloomberg report highlighting sharp second-season viewership declines on some Netflix shows, with certain titles losing up to 70 per cent of their first-season audience.