Netflix announced Monday what it calls the “first major update” to the popular video streaming service’s website design in four years.
The new design is meant to offer Netflix (NFLX) users “a richer, more visual experience,” while functioning more like a mobile app than a traditional website, the company said in a blog post.
The post notes that growing usage rates for mobile apps mean websites need to adapt to users’ evolving preferences. That’s why the redesigned Netflix site presents information like movies and TV shows in-line for easier, faster scrolling rather than linking to separate pages.
Netflix users will be able to hover a mouse over a movie or TV show to see more information about the content along with a slideshow of images from the program. Clicking on a program opens an in-line pane with more details and the option of browsing through specific episodes.
Some Netflix members will see the new interface immediately; Netflix said the rollout may take up to two weeks to reach all users.
Netflix said earlier this year that it surpassed 60 million total subscribers worldwide for the first time. CEO Reed Hastings has said that his goal is to reach as many as 90 million subscribers in the U.S. alone.
As more and more people turn to Netflix and other streaming sites for their entertainment needs, more traditional media outlets are suffering a drop-off in viewership. In addition to dropping TV ratings, a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study found that the revenue from downloading and streaming video content will outpace physical DVD sales this year and will surpass revenue from movie theaters in the U.S. by 2017.
