On December 30, just in time for New Year’s, Netflix launched a series of workout classes in collaboration with Nike. The program will eventually offer 30 hours of exercise dropped in two batches, a collection that pales in comparison to massive back catalogs of programs like Peloton or even popular YouTube fitness gurus who post new workouts every day. Likely, Netflix is testing the waters for a larger expansion into lifestyle programming, leaning heavily on the Nike name to lend the pivot into fitness legitimacy. But zooming through the workouts, I found that, so far at least, Netflix falls flat on the fitness front.
I initially set out to sample Netflix’s Nike workout classes over the course of two weeks or even a month. It turns out, many of the classes are so short (just five or ten minutes) and there are so few, I needed only a few days to get a sense of what was available on the platform. Indeed, by Day 3, I made a major discovery that led me to abandon Netflix as a workout resource entirely.
Read More: The Big Business of Being a Peloton Instructor
Day 1: The hunt for the classes
I try to locate the Nike-branded classes. At the time I started this experiment (January 3), the classes were not being served up to me on my home screen, though Netflix now seems to be pushing the workouts to more users. (When I checked on January 5, I saw it in my New Releases section.)
First, I open the iPhone Netflix app and search “workout.” The results show two Nike workout classes but also a random collection of movies (Southpaw), documentaries (Human: The World Within), and Beyoncé’s Homecoming documentary. To be fair, Beyoncé did some insane core work in preparation for that Coachella performance, so I guess the algorithm is working. Sort of.
I turn to the Netflix app on my TV and do find what appears to be the Nike workout hub. Sorting through the classes is a disaster. Look, maybe I’m spoiled by Peloton, but that app allows you to curate tens of thousands of classes based on factors like length of workout, type of class, which part of your body you want to exercise, preferred music, and favorite instructor. The Netflix collection offers absolutely no ability to search and narrow down your options. Instead, classes are grouped together into “shows” like “10 minute workouts” (but…what kind of workouts?) and “kickstart fitness with the basics” (but…how long are the classes?). In each “show” are episodes, i.e. classes.
I open “two weeks to a stronger core” and find a mishmash of classes. Some are labeled yoga classes, some labeled HIT, some labeled “bodyweight burn.” Immediately, it’s clear that these classes are aimed at users who do not know exactly what kinds of workouts they like and are hoping to explore a variety. That would be great if the instructors offered more guidance on proper form so relative newbies can avoid injury. As it stands, instructors jump into the class without much instruction. And for someone who already has a routine or is hoping to form one—arm day, leg day, cardio day, yoga day, etc.—the inability to curate based on those factors will prove a major deterrent.
Some classes are 35 minutes and some are 5 minutes. Why? Unclear. Bafflingly there are seven classes in the “two weeks to a stronger core” group. Am I supposed to do one class every other day? All seven classes twice over two weeks? No explanation given.