Netflix Inc. 聘请了一位前 Apple Inc. 高管来负责其进军播客领域的业务，显示出这家流媒体公司对该类型内容的重视，因为它正寻求吸引更多观众到其平台。
Inc. has hired a former Apple Inc. executive to oversee its move into podcasts, indicating its commitment to the genre as the streaming company seeks to attract more viewers to its platform.
Steve Wilson 曾负责 Apple Podcasts 的合作伙伴关系，最近离开了 Daylight Media 的职位，将负责 Netflix 的播客内容收购工作，最初以顾问身份开始。Netflix 证实了 Wilson 的任命。Wilson 拒绝置评。
Steve Wilson, who formerly managed partner relations at Apple Podcasts and recently left his role at Daylight Media, will be in charge of podcast content acquisition at Netflix, starting out as a consultant. Netflix confirmed Wilson’s appointment. Wilson declined to comment.
Wilson 加入 Netflix 之际，公司正处于不确定时刻——本月早些时候刚宣布计划裁员 6%——其初创的播客业务尤其如此。去年，Netflix 开始招募少数播客创作者，将其音频节目的视频版本分发到平台上，包括流行文化节目《Call Her Daddy》和最受欢迎的体育播客之一《New Heights》。条件是这些节目必须从 YouTube 下架，而 YouTube 是 Netflix 争夺观众的主要对手。作为回应，YouTube —— 美国播客收听的第一大平台 —— 正通过向各类创作者提供数百万美元来反击，以留住他们。
Wilson is joining Netflix at an uncertain moment for the company — which announced plans to lay off 6% of staff earlier this month — and for its nascent podcasting efforts in particular. Last year, Netflix began recruiting a handful of podcasters to distribute the video versions of their audio programs on the platform, including the pop culture show and one of the most popular sports podcasts. The catch was that they had to be removed from YouTube, Netflix’s main rival for capturing viewers. In response, YouTube — the top platform for podcast consumption in the US — is hitting back by offering talent of all kinds millions of dollars to remain on its service.
Netflix 在播客上的支出仅占其总计 200 亿美元内容预算的一小部分，其中大部分用于剧集和电影。联席首席执行官 Ted Sarandos 上月在彭博社 Screentime 大会上表示，播客和创作者交易是对公司业务的“非常小的投资和非常小的补充”。尽管 Netflix 发布半年报告披露人们在其节目上花费的时间，但尚未公布网站上播客的观看数据，这表明观看量可能很小。
Netflix’s spending on podcasting is a fraction of its overall $20 billion content budget, most of which goes to series and films. Speaking at Bloomberg’s Screentime conference last month, co-Chief Executive officer Ted Sarandos said podcast and creator deals are a “very small investment and very small addition” to what the company does. Netflix also hasn’t released viewership data for the podcasts on its site, despite publishing a biannual report on how much time people spend with its shows, suggesting viewership could be small.
一项今年早些时候的研究显示，13% 的美国 Netflix 家庭在该服务上至少观看了一分钟播客，而《New Heights》是基于总观看量最受欢迎的节目。
A study earlier this year suggested 13% of US Netflix households had watched at least a minute of a podcast on the service and that was the most popular program based on total views.
Netflix 在播客方面的做法迄今主要集中在说服播客网络，鼓励其旗下人才参与。然而，对于最大型的节目而言，失去 YouTube 受众不仅关乎节目的长久性，还意味着收入损失。与此同时，早早选择加入 Netflix 的播客主播能获得一种好莱坞式的声望光环。
Netflix’s approach to podcasts has so far largely focused on convincing podcast networks to encourage their talent to participate. For the largest programs, however, losing their YouTube audience is a risk not only to the longevity of their shows but also for lost revenue. At the same time, appearing on Netflix offers an air of Hollywood prestige for the podcasters who opt in early.