Watching movies and getting cozy is a time-honored tradition that goes back to the old-time drive-in movies. These days, the same phenomenon has a new name: "Netflix (NFLX) and chill." If someone invites you over for a "Netflix and chill" session and you've never heard the term, prepare yourself. You might end up doing the hanky-panky to the background sounds of "Orange is the New Black."
The term began innocently enough as a non-romantic tweet in 2009 about binge-watching at the end of a long day. But as the popular on-demand entertainment service grew in popularity, the term resurfaced on social media and quickly became the stuff of meme legend. At the 2015 World Maker Faire, the company premiered the prototype for a button called "The Switch" that would dim the lights, switch on Netflix, and set your phone to "Do Not Disturb." It was also called the "Netflix and Chill Button."
Thanks to the phrase's popularity, Netflix and guilty pleasures at home are now commonly associated with one another. Unilever PLC (UL) brand Ben & Jerry’s even has a flavor called “Netflix & Chill’d,” a peanut butter-flavored ice cream with pretzel and fudge brownie bits. Now, the streaming service has paired with a popular dating app to take advantage of one of its viewers' favorite pastimes.
Netflix/TheStreet
Netflix & Bumble Team Up to Help Couples Connect
Dating service Bumble (BMBL) is adding a new feature to the app that will allow users to answer weekly Netflix-themed questions and share with other users. A recent Bumble survey revealed that 78% of the app’s users match with someone more easily if they share the same taste in movies and TV shows.
New questions will appear every Monday and revolve around popular Netflix shows like "Stranger Things" and "Emily in Paris."
"We love seeing people connect over Netflix shows and films and create their own communities around them," Netflix Vice President of Marketing Partnerships Magno Herran said. "And with this partnership, we wanted to give people a way to find someone who gets them based on what they watch while leaning into 'if you know you know' Netflix references that have helped to spark many conversations."
The service will be called "Netflix Nights In," and starts Monday, Jan. 30 for users in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
More Streamers & Dating Apps Hook Up For Promotions
This isn't Bumble's first time dipping into the well of pop culture to elevate its customers' experiences. Last October, the dating app teamed up with Apple+ to host a live event that mimicked the fictional dating app "Bantr" from the platform's beloved hit show "Ted Lasso." The event randomly paired users without showing any profile pictures, meaning users had to "banter" with each other for three minutes before seeing their match’s face.
Meanwhile, this isn't Netflix's first tango with interactive games. The Netflix home page now features an interactive trivia game called the Triviaverse. It can be played in-app, on mobile, or however you watch Netflix.
