Netflix has partnered with Mastercard as the streamer enacts a more ambitious strategy around in-person experiences tied to its most popular content, according to news shared with Marketing Dive. The payments company will offer customers exclusive perks, such as presale tickets, as Netflix plots a new culinary residency, stage play and more for 2025.
Mastercard will serve as the preferred payments provider for Netflix Bites, a “screen-to-table” dining experience at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, along with “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” a Broadway prequel to the popular series that is set in the 1950s. In addition, Mastercard is an official partner on Netflix House experiential venues, the first two of which will cut their ribbons at the King of Prussia mall in Pennsylvania and the Galleria Dallas next year. Netflix Houses will be year-round fixtures installed in former department stores that allow guests to dine, shop and participate in other activities that carry a Netflix flare.
In a statement, Mastercard CMO Raja Rajamannar pointed to high consumer interest in memorable experiences. Experiential marketing has had ups and downs over the years, and was waylaid for a period by the COVID-19 pandemic, but remains a valuable tactic for brands looking to tap into dedicated fandoms.
Netflix has fostered loyal followings for programs like “Stranger Things,” “Outer Banks” and “Bridgerton,” and is eyeing 2025 as a moment to experiment more with activations that will get people off the living room couch and serve as additional sources of revenue. Netflix has previously developed more than 50 experiences, including one based on the dystopian thriller “Squid Game” that bowed in New York this fall ahead of the show’s second season.
A tie-up with Mastercard demonstrates how Netflix continues to forge deeper connections to brand marketers. Netflix this week also teamed with language-learning app Duolingo to help users learn Korean, part of a promotional blitz around the return of “Squid Game” that has also featured companies like Domino’s Pizza and Johnnie Walker. The streaming platform has been busy ramping up its advertising business as well, though it is not yet a meaningful driver of revenue. Experiential sponsorships could be one way to build a bridge to larger advertising deals.
