Netflix, the global video streaming giant, on Wednesday, launched a new ‘Fast Laughs’ feature that will stream short funny clips from movies, sitcoms, comedy routines, and TV shows.
In a move to take on the popular video app TikTok, Fast Laughs offers “a full-screen feed of funny clips from our big comedy catalog including films, series and stand-up from comedians like Kevin Hart and Ali Wong,” Patrick Flemming, Netflix Director of Product Innovation wrote in a blog post.
“This is the part where we have to say that not all clips will be appropriate for all audiences,” he added.
You can access the feed (which effectively resembles TikTok with vertical scrolling) through the bottom navigation menu by clicking on the Fast Laughs tab. Clips will start playing – when one ends another begins, to keep the laughs coming.
The view also includes a “LOL” button for you to react to clips. When tapped, this releases a burst of “Face with Tears of Joy” emojis.
We’ve been working in the kitchen ALL DAY to bring you our new Fast Laughs feature, now are you going to eat it or not? pic.twitter.com/pW7NrRkmTN
— Netflix Is A Joke (@NetflixIsAJoke) March 3, 2021
Fast Laughs lets you add series, films and stand-up specials to your list, or start viewing them immediately. You can also share the clips individually on WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. However, only Netflix subscribers will be able to watch them in the Netflix app.
The Fast Laughs feature is available now for iPhone users in the U.S. and other select markets. The company will also be testing the feature on the Netflix app for Android soon.
“We’re always looking for new ways to improve the Netflix experience. A lot of our members love comedy so we thought this would be an exciting new way to help them discover new shows and enjoy classic scenes,” a Netflix spokesperson told TechCrunch.
“We experiment with these types of tests in different countries and for different periods of time — and only make them broadly available if people find them useful.”
Besides Netflix, even other popular video-sharing platforms have come up with their own short-form video format to combat the rise of TikTok, the hugely popular Chinese video-sharing app. For instance, YouTube has come up with ‘Shorts’, Facebook-owned Instagram with ‘Reels’ and Snapchat with ‘Spotlight’.
