Steve Wilson Joins Netflix to Oversee Podcast Deals

Netflix has appointed Steve Wilson to direct its podcast content acquisition efforts. The company confirmed the hire on Sunday, a move that signals a deeper commitment to audio content despite recent workforce reductions. Bloomberg first reported the news.

Wilson starts his tenure at Netflix as a consultant. He will focus on securing new podcast deals for the platform. This role follows his exit from Daylight Media, a podcast and creator content firm. Prior to that, he served as chief strategy officer at QCODE.

The hiring comes after Wilson spent 15 years at Apple. During his time there, he worked in editorial, partner relations, and marketing for Apple Podcasts. His background in managing large-scale audio libraries makes him a specific fit for Netflix's current strategy.

Netflix announced plans to cut approximately 6 percent of its workforce in late October. That reduction involves about 1,000 employees, marking the largest staff reduction at the company since 2022. The company stated the layoffs were part of an examination of areas where it was overinvested.

The cuts included several high-ranking executives. Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria, Film Chief Dan Lin, and Vice President of Film Doug Belgrad left their roles. A series of senior television executives were also affected. Netflix described this as a revamp of its content strategy.

The streamer's podcast expansion began in November 2025. It announced a partnership with Spotify for a select number of video podcasts. Those titles included The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Zach Lowe Show, The McShay Show, The Rewatchables, and Conspiracy Theories. Netflix has since licensed shows from iHeartMedia and Barstool. It also launched original productions like The Pete Davidson Show and signed creators such as Jay Shetty and Charlemagne Tha God.

These podcasts require exclusivity on the Netflix platform. Industry observers view this as an effort to compete with YouTube and to attract viewers during daytime hours. However, Netflix has not released viewing statistics for these shows. The company has not made a full-scale push into the medium yet, leaving its long-term podcast strategy unclear.