Netflix is looking to the stars — in case, the gaseous spheroidal celestial bodies, not Hollywood celebs — to push users to stream more content.
On Thursday (Aug. 21), Netflix launched a new astrology hub, Your Zodiac Watchlist, that lets members browse the streamer’s catalog through the lens of the zodiac. You can access the hub via this link. The collection will start showing up on members’ homepages starting this weekend, marking the beginning of Virgo season (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22).
While astrology has no scientific basis, it remains a popular tradition — and Netflix is betting that its curated astrological collections will help members discover something fresh, fun and timely.
In the new Netflix hub, each sign has its own themed row stocked with titles that reflect the character traits and themes most associated with the sign. Here’s a sampling of the TV shows and movies Netflix is surfacing for the different star signs:
Virgos Are Always Hustling: “Animal Kingdom,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” “Now You See Me”
Libras Play Fair in Love and War: “Peaky Blinders,” “Ozark,” “Designated Survivor”
Scorpios Revel in Mystery: “Wednesday,” “Untamed,” “You”
Sagittarians Bring Adventure: “Lost,” “The Witcher,” “Jurassic Park’
Capricorns Activate Boss Mode: “Suits,” “Hostage,” “Dept. Q”
Aquarians Are Otherworldly: “Stranger Things,” “Resident Alien,” “Venom: The Last Dance”
Pisces Manifest the Dream: “A Star Is Born” (2018), “XO, Kitty,” “Groundhog Day”
Aries Love Chaos and Competition: “Squid Game,” “Love Is Blind,” “Building the Band”
Taurus Is the Life of the Party: “Nonnas,” “Mamma Mia!”, “Dazed and Confused”
Geminis Spill the Tea: “Bridgerton,” “Shameless,” “Sex and the City”
Cancers Will Cry If They Want To: “Gilmore Girls,” “Ginny & Georgia,” “Grey’s Anatomy”
Leos Have Main Character Energy: “Emily in Paris,” “The Crown,” “The Age of Innocence”
There’s also a row labeled “Beware, Mercury Is in Retrograde,” featuring such titles as “Black Mirror,” “Extant,” “Subservience,” “Maniac,” “The Electric State,” “Leave the World Behind” and “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.”
Netflix’s Your Astrology Watchlist is the latest move by the company in its ongoing efforts to boost engagement. The company’s curation team launches new collections every week, tied to cultural moments and trending conversations. Recent collections have included “Hope They Don’t End Up on the Kiss Cam” (filled with “steamy dramas” and keying off the viral Coldplay concert incident; “Can I Pull You for a Chat?” inspired by Peacock’s summer smash reality series “Love Island USA”; and “100 Men vs. One Gorilla,” based on the viral internet debate.