If watching Netflix across your TV, phone, laptop, or gaming console isn’t enough, viewers now have two other options: Nest Hub and Hub Max. Google announced full Netflix support on its blog for its smart displays, enabling the “ultimate cooking companion” for the kitchen. Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max also boast support for Peacock, CBS All Access, Sling, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, and Showtime.
For Netflix, users simply need to link their accounts in the Google Home or Assistant app, and then they can use the “Hey Google, open Netflix” voice command to start streaming. Owners of Nest Hub Max can even use hand gestures if they prefer.
The ubiquity of Netflix cannot be overstated. The additions of Nest Hub and Hub Max come at a time of incredible growth for the streaming platform. The company just posted record results for its second quarter and grew its new paid subscribers by 10.1 million. For the first half of 2020, Netflix has added 26 million subscribers, which compares to 28 million for all of 2019. Although the figures are impressive, Netflix did caution investors that “growth is slowing as consumers get through the initial shock of COVID and social restrictions.”
With the addition of Netflix, and built-in YouTube integration, Nest Hub and Hub Max have an advantage over competing smart displays like Amazon Echo and Facebook Portal. Smart speaker owners are also predisposed to using Netflix. According to Interpret’s NMM: Global Profiles®, 64% of smart speaker owners worldwide subscribe to the streaming service vs. only 41% Netflix penetration among those who do not own a smart speaker.