Netflix’s Star Search Will Let You Vote With Your Remote

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Tonight, Netflix is bringing back Star Search and introducing a new way to vote for your favorite performers. Viewers can now use their remote to rate contestants directly on their TV or mobile devices – no app downloads, texts, or phone calls are needed. This simple voting system, which appears on screen during performances, was a key requirement for the show’s revival, according to Netflix’s head of unscripted programming.

Jeff Gaspin, Netflix’s head of unscripted series in the U.S. and Canada, recently told Vulture that he had one key requirement before signing on to the show: live audience voting. He wanted viewers to act as a fourth judge during the performances, not afterwards, and to be able to vote easily using their remote controls. He challenged Netflix’s product team to create a voting system that could handle millions of simultaneous votes, and they delivered within 24 hours. According to Gaspin, they’ve been perfecting this feature for the past year.

Netflix is introducing interactive voting features, called “Real Time Voting,” on both mobile and TV for its show Star Search. Viewers will be able to participate in two ways. First, they can answer multiple-choice questions with up to four options, displayed as colorful buttons on the screen. Second, after each performance, viewers can rate the talent using a one-to-five-star system, also shown on screen.

According to Navin Iyengar, the lead designer, the biggest challenge was making the voting system work seamlessly within the show. It needed to be controlled by the production team and instantly available to Netflix viewers worldwide at a specific moment. Importantly, this technology won’t be limited to this one show—they plan to adapt it for various live and on-demand entertainment options in the future, starting with Star Search.

Getting viewers to participate and vote is a major challenge for talent competitions like Star Search. According to Gaspin, who previously worked at NBCUniversal, shows like America’s Got Talent typically see only 2-3% of viewers actually vote, and Idol is similar. However, Star Search aims to make voting much easier – there’s no need to download an app or text a number, removing almost all obstacles to participation.

As a big movie and TV fan, I have to say this new feature feels a lot more streamlined than those voting systems you see on shows like Dancing With the Stars – all that texting and online clicking! It’s just another sign that Netflix is really focused on keeping us hooked within their app, which makes total sense. Every streaming service is doing something similar – Disney+ with those short-form videos, Crunchyroll with their manga app. Honestly, Netflix has been changing a lot lately to boost engagement, so it’s not shocking they’d launch something like this with their new live competition show. It feels like a smart move to keep us all glued to their platform.

The main question with Netflix’s live shows is always whether people will actually enjoy them. Their last attempt, a live reunion for Love Is Blind, didn’t go well and temporarily stalled their plans for live programming. Now, we’ll have to see how viewers react to Star Search, which begins tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and will air every week.

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2026-01-21 01:55