Netflix announces Tudum event day after Microsoft ad deal

Netflix this September will host its second annual Tudum fan event, which could prove to be an Upfront-esque testing ground for the platform ahead of its official entrance into the ad sales market. The streamer announced Tudum’s return a day after revealing a partnership with Microsoft to develop ad tech and sales infrastructure ahead of its ad-supported subscription tier, expected to launch by the end of this year.

Tudum, named after the sound of Netflix’s pre-show logo animation, is a Netflix-fandom-centric brand that also exists as a content vertical. The return of the event on Sept. 24—which promises special announcements, programming first looks and appearances from Netflix stars—may come as a surprise after Tudum became the subject of controversy in the spring, when the content vertical suddenly fired 25 newly hired workers from its nascent team.

The 2022 edition of Tudum will stream on Netflix’s YouTube channel, hosting five events across four continents over the course of 24 hours. Presentations streamed live from Korea, India, the U.S., Latin America and Japan will tease Netflix’s upcoming shows.

Tudum’s first iteration took place on September 25, 2021, and boasted 25.7 million views from 184 countries across its social channels. It featured first looks from over 100 upcoming shows and films. Clips and trailers shared after the three-hour presentation generated 695 million views and over three billion impressions on social media within three days, according to Netflix.

In December, Netflix expanded the Tudum brand to include the fan-centric news site of the same name, overseen by then-Chief Marketing Officer Bozoma Saint John. The site went on to recruit dozens of writers, a large percentage notably representative of diverse audiences, only to lay off around twenty-five of its staff and contract writers months later.