Samsung, Netflix mobile deal will unlock bonus content on Galaxy phones

The alliance means that Netflix's app will be more tightly integrated with Samsung's mobile devices.

Joan E. Solsman Former Senior Reporter

Joan E. Solsman was CNET's senior media reporter, covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. She's reported from locations spanning from Disneyland to Serbian refugee camps, and she previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere and has been doored only once.

Expertise Streaming video, film, television and music; virtual, augmented and mixed reality; deep fakes and synthetic media; content moderation and misinformation online Credentials

Three Folio Eddie award wins: 2018 science & technology writing (Cartoon bunnies are hacking your brain), 2021 analysis (Deepfakes' election threat isn't what you'd think) and 2022 culture article (Apple's CODA Takes You Into an Inner World of Sign)

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Joan E. Solsman

Feb. 11, 2020 12:00 p.m. PT

Angela Lang/CNET

Netflix is Samsung's official mobile entertainment partner, an alliance that will unlock bonus content related to Netflix titles and more tightly integrate the subscription-streaming service into Samsung's Galaxy phones .

This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET's collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung's most popular products.

"The mission of this partnership to make the Netflix viewing experience on Samsung mobile the absolute best it can be," Netflix's Chief Marketing Officer Jackie Lee-Joe said on stage in San Francisco as she announced the alliance.

Samsung dropped the news at its flashy Unpacked event, which unveiled a new foldable phone (the Galaxy Z Flip) and a trio of Galaxy S20 phones, as well as new Galaxy Buds Plus earbuds.

For an entertainment partner, a mobile deal can be a big help raking in new customers. Netflix, however, is already the world's biggest subscription video service, with 167 million members. Still, it's facing intensifying competition from new, big-spending competitors like Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and HBO Max. Samsung's global proliferation could be a boost in the international markets where Netflix is growing fastest.