The American OTT content platform Netflix Inc has launched a Tik-Tok-like feature for its iPhone app called “Fast Laughs” that will give its subscribers the opportunity to get their dose of laughter, without having to watch a whole comedy TV show or movie.
According to Netflix, the Fast Laughs tab, which has been added to the mobile app, will launch a stream of funny snippets from TV shows, movies, comedy routines, and sitcoms.
“Wanna see something funny?” Netflix asked rhetorically in a blog post.
“On Netflix, this one little question opens up lots of possibilities from hilarious series and films to laugh-out-loud stand-up specials,” it further stated.
However, according to recent reports, ‘Fast Laughs’ availability, for now, is limited to iOS device owners in select countries. The feature looks and feels very similar to TikTok or Instagram Reels, the major difference being that content creators do not make fast Laugh videos. The concept is that different short clips, which are taken from shows like the adult animation comedy ‘Big Mouth’ among other comedy shows, or stand-up specials from comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Ali Wong, will play directly within the Netflix app.
“This is the part where we have to say that not all clips will be appropriate for all audiences,” Netflix said in the post.
If any of the shows, films, or comedy specials that you see in the Fast Laugh tab sparks interest, you can add the said title to your saved list to watch later. Patrick Flemming, director of product innovation at Netflix, said, “We’re always looking for new ways to entertain and make discovery easier for members.”
To access Fast Laughs, select the new icon located in the Previews row in the Netflix app display. Like on the rival app TikTok, the Fast Laugh feed provides a row of buttons to give reactions to the video that is being watched.
All content available on this new feature can also be shared on social media platforms.
Currently, Fast Laugh is still in a trial phase for Netflix users in the United States, the United Kingdom, and some other countries. It is still unclear whether Netflix has plans of expanding the Fast Laugh’s availability worldwide or not.
“We do experiments like this (Fast Laugh) in different countries and at different times – and will only make it widely available if people find it useful,” said Netflix.
Meanwhile, YouTube Shorts, which is Youtube’s quick clips meant to compete with TikTok, were racking up 3.5 billion views a day during beta testing in India, the platform’s head informed last month.
Considering the growth and prominence of TikTok in the market right now and Netflix’s last few earnings reports specifically referencing TikTok as a major competitor, Fast Laughs makes sense for Netflix to come up with. Though Netflix and TikTok make different types of content, people spending more time on TikTok results in less time on Netflix.
