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Scoops Ahoy’s “U.S.S. Butterscotch” flavor chills in a Walmart freezer. Puma’s website sells Squid Game uniforms. In New York City, Queen Charlotte leads a grand regency ball.
No, you haven’t entered the Upside Down: Netflix’s IPs are everywhere—and it’s not a happy coincidence.
The streamer is gearing up to give Disney and Universal a run for their money with Netflix House, a 100,000-square feet themed entertainment complex that will include dining pitstops, gift shops, and immersive experiences tied to hit shows including Stranger Things and Bridgerton. The first two locations will open in King of Prussia, PA, and Dallas, TX in 2025.
In preparation, Netflix has spent 2024 making sure the world knows entertainment, not streaming, is its core product. Physical launches and live events have been at the heart of this strategy, led by Josh Simon, Netflix’s vp of consumer products and experiences.
He’s all too aware that some of Netflix’s peers have broad IP portfolios that have been around for “50 or more years,” but he doesn’t necessarily see that as a disadvantage for Netflix.
“We’re largely working with brand new worlds and stories and characters. We’re creating things from scratch. That gives us a lot of freedom to think differently,” he told ADWEEK.
He added that he views Netflix House as a way to extend the platform’s storytelling, noting Netflix worked with showrunners and leaned into viewership data to determine which experiences fans would get most excited about.
