Spotify video podcasts UK: the Netflix deal explained

News · 3 Jun 2026 · MTW Editorial Team

Spotify video podcasts UK listeners have grown used to are about to change shape again, and the biggest signal yet arrived on 27 May 2026: Spotify and Netflix confirmed that the video version of On Purpose with Jay Shetty, one of the most-played shows on the platform, will move to both services from 13 July 2026. It is a small headline with a large meaning for how Britons will watch, not just hear, their favourite shows.

The deal has been reported to be worth up to $100 million across a multi-year term, according to Variety, and it lands while Spotify is pushing hard into video of every kind, from talk shows to full concert films. For UK readers the practical questions are simple: what changes on 13 July, what does it cost, and is Premium still worth £12.99 a month when so much video is now bundled in. We have pulled the primary sources together and added our own read on where this leaves a British listener.

What is actually changing in July

From 13 July 2026, video episodes of On Purpose will play inside both the Spotify and Netflix apps, with Spotify acting as the show’s global sales representative for advertising. Audio-only episodes carry on as before on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, so nothing breaks for anyone who listens on a commute or at the gym. The visible shift is for the growing share of the audience that watches podcasts: the full-length video will no longer sit on YouTube once the move completes.

Roman Wasenmüller, VP and Global Head of Podcasts at Spotify, framed it as a continuation rather than a reset, saying “Spotify is already where millions of fans come to listen to the show, and this next chapter builds on that momentum.” Netflix’s Lauren Smith, VP of Content Licensing and Programming Strategy, described the tie-up as giving the show “an expansive new canvas.” Strip away the launch language and the substance is clear enough: two of the biggest names in audio and video have decided the podcast and the streaming box set are now the same product. If you have followed Spotify’s 2026 Investor Day plans for creator pay, this is the strategy made concrete.

Spotify’s video push, from talk shows to concert films

The On Purpose deal does not stand alone. Video podcasts have quietly become one of the most-used features on Spotify, and the company has spent the past year building tools and content around them. It has rolled out creator features such as Spotify Studio AI tools for making shows, and it has leaned into live music with filmed concerts. The thread running through all of it is the bet that people increasingly want to watch the thing they used to only hear.

That bet is not unique to Spotify. Amazon has been testing Alexa-generated AI podcast episodes, and Apple keeps folding more live content into its services. But Spotify’s advantage is scale and a single app that already sits on most British phones. Bringing a marquee show like On Purpose, which has passed a billion listens, into that app as polished video is a way to keep listeners inside the ecosystem rather than drifting to YouTube for the visual version.

Why the move matters for UK listeners

For most UK fans, the headline is a convenience story with one catch. The convenience: you will be able to watch or listen to On Purpose without leaving Spotify, and Netflix subscribers get the video too. The catch: if you currently watch the full episodes free on YouTube, that route closes from 13 July. You will then either watch the video on Spotify, watch it on Netflix if you subscribe, or stick with the free audio. Nobody is being forced to pay, but the most polished version of the show now lives behind apps you may already fund.

There is a quieter point worth making for British households juggling subscriptions. Bundling a flagship podcast into Netflix is a retention play for both companies, and it nudges the value of each service up without raising the sticker price. If a show you watch weekly is the reason you keep Netflix, that is exactly the lock-in both firms want. Our advice is to treat the move as a prompt to audit what you actually pay for, not as a reason to add a service you would not otherwise keep.

UK subscribers also have a little more protection than they used to. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, the rules around online subscriptions are set to tighten, with clearer reminders before renewals and simpler routes to cancel, though the subscription-contracts regime is not yet in force and is expected to arrive from autumn 2026. That matters here because folding a must-watch show into a service is precisely the tactic those rules are meant to keep honest. If you do add or keep a subscription for On Purpose, set a calendar reminder for the renewal date and learn the in-app cancellation flow before your habits change. For a sense of how the same value question plays out elsewhere in streaming, our look at Apple Arcade for UK families weighs when a bundle genuinely earns its place and when it is quietly padding the bill.

Billions Club Live and the rise of the concert film

The same week as the Netflix news, Spotify premiered Billions Club Live with Olivia Rodrigo: A Concert Film, capturing her 8 May show at the historic Teatre Grec in Barcelona in front of around 1,500 of the platform’s top listeners. The 14-song set ran across her catalogue, from “drivers license” to “vampire”, and arrived ahead of her album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, due on 12 June. It is exactly the kind of premium video Spotify wants to own outright.

Concert films and video podcasts pull in the same direction. Both turn Spotify from a thing you listen to in the background into a thing you sit down and watch, which is why the company keeps investing in better screens, bigger names and exclusive runs. For UK music fans the upside is real, since these films are included with the subscription you already hold rather than sold as a separate ticket. The trade-off is the now-familiar one of streaming: the content is excellent while you pay, and it disappears the moment you cancel.

Spotify video podcasts UK: free versus Premium

Here is the part that decides whether any of this is worth paying for. A large amount of Spotify video, including many video podcasts and now these concert films, is available on the free, ad-supported tier, so you do not strictly need Premium to watch. What Premium buys you is the absence of ads, offline downloads, higher-quality audio and uninterrupted playback. In the UK, Premium currently costs £12.99 a month for Individual, £17.99 for Duo, £21.99 for Family covering up to six people at one address, and £5.99 for eligible students. Those prices rose in November 2025, when Individual went up from £11.99.

So how should a UK reader weigh it up. If you mostly listen to music and the odd podcast, the free tier plus the video extras may be plenty, and the ads are the price you pay. If you are a Family-plan household, the maths is kinder per person than almost any rival, and the added video makes the £21.99 easier to justify. If your real reason for keeping Spotify is one show or one artist, check whether the audio-only version, which stays free, gives you what you need before you commit. For watching on the sofa, a decent pair of headphones such as the ones in our best wireless earbuds in the UK guide matters more than the tier you pick, and a capable set like the Sony WH-1000XM6 against the Bose QC Ultra will make any video podcast sound better.

Where to watch and how to get set up in the UK

If you want to be ready for 13 July without overpaying, a few practical checks help. Treat this as service admin, not a shopping spree.

• Confirm your Spotify tier and price on the official Spotify UK Premium page, which lists the current £12.99, £17.99, £21.99 and £5.99 plans and any trial offers before you renew.
• Decide where you will watch. If you already pay for Netflix, the video version of On Purpose is included; check your plan on Netflix UK rather than adding a tier just for one show.
• Set up the apps on your TV. Both Spotify and Netflix run on most UK smart sets and streaming sticks, so a video podcast can play on the big screen. Our guide to Samsung’s 2026 TV line-up covers what to look for if you are upgrading.
• Keep the free audio option in mind. If you do not want another bill, the audio episodes stay free with ads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
• Watch your bundle creep. If you are reviewing streaming spend, weigh this against rivals like Apple TV’s live sport ambitions before deciding what to keep.

Our verdict

Our view is that this is good news for UK listeners as long as you go in with your eyes open. Watching On Purpose inside Spotify or Netflix is more convenient than chasing it across YouTube, the audio stays free, and the concert films are a genuine perk of a subscription you may already hold. We would not add Netflix purely for one podcast, and we would not upgrade to Premium for video alone when so much of it sits on the free tier. We would, though, use 13 July as a deadline to review every streaming bill in the house. The companies are betting that bundled video makes you stickier; the smart move is to keep only what you would miss.