Netflix Is Done Matchmaking: Streamer May Be Losing Its Match Feature Not Long After Slyly Dropping Its Shuffle Button

Netflix is done playing matchmaker — well, at least in the literal sense.

A recent New York Times story about the streamer’s large focus on tags hinted that its “Match” feature — defined by the Netflix Help Center as “how close we think the match is for your specific profile” — may be removed. This was echoed by a Netflix representative, who told IndieWire the change will likely take place.

The “Match” percentage — like its predecessor, the recently defunct “Surprise Me” feature — uses the platform’s algorithm to select titles that cater to a subscriber’s demonstrated viewing interests.

Now, Netflix is betting big on tags to direct viewers to new series and films they’ll love. While speaking with the Times, Allan Donald, a Director of Products at Netflix, likened the essential properties of tags to “cover lines” in a magazine.

“Imagine magazines that have no cover lines, and there were just photographs on them,” he said. “Tags make as much of a difference as a cover line in that snap ‘this is for me’ decision.”

He also noted that while testing the elimination of tags, “people would take much longer to choose.”

“They would drop out of a title because they didn’t like it too much or because they didn’t know what they were getting,” he added.

The outlet also reported that “about 30 employees” are dedicated to the task of tagging. This was confirmed to IndieWire by a Netflix representative, who revealed that the job is their full-time role.

In the above image, Community is highlighted to demonstrate both the “Match” feature — the “96% Match” — and the tags (“Witty,” “Irreverent,” “Sitcom”).

According to The New York Times report, tags are additionally employed to create the “theme rows of titles” shown to a viewer — examples that pop up on my own Netflix page include “College TV Comedies,” “Casual Viewing,” and “Romantic Favorites.”

Tags have existed since Netflix offered DVDs, a program which came to an end last September. With more than 3,000 tags on the platform — the most popular being “romantic,” “exciting” and “suspenseful,” and the least popular being “occupation: farmhand” — executives consider tags to be one of the platform’s “promotional assets,” per the Times.